Driving massive molecular gas flows in central cluster galaxies with AGN feedback

Russell, H R; McNamara, B R; Fabian, A C; Nulsen, P E J; Combes, F; Edge, A C; Madar, M; Olivares, V; Salom�, P; Vantyghem, A N

Abstract

We present an analysis of new and archival ALMA observations of molecular gas in twelve central cluster galaxies. We examine emerging trends in molecular filament morphology and gas velocities to understand their origins. Molecular gas masses in these systems span 10^{9} − 10^{11} Msolar, far more than most gas-rich galaxies. ALMA images reveal a distribution of morphologies from filamentary to disk-dominated structures. Circumnuclear disks on kilo-parsec scales appear rare. In most systems, half to nearly all of the molecular gas lies in filamentary structures with masses of a few ×10^{8−10} Msolar that extend radially several to several tens of kpc. In nearly all cases the molecular gas velocities lie far below stellar velocity dispersions, indicating youth, transience or both. Filament bulk velocities lie far below the galaxy's escape and free-fall speeds indicating they are bound and being decelerated. Most extended molecular filaments surround or lie beneath radio bubbles inflated by the central AGN. Smooth velocity gradients found along the filaments are consistent with gas flowing along streamlines surrounding these bubbles. Evidence suggests most of the molecular clouds formed from low entropy X-ray gas that became thermally unstable and cooled when lifted by the buoyant bubbles. Uplifted gas will stall and fall back to the galaxy in a circulating flow. The distribution in morphologies from filament to disk-dominated sources therefore implies slowly evolving molecular structures driven by the episodic activity of the AGN.

Citation

Russell, H. R., McNamara, B. R., Fabian, A. C., Nulsen, P. E. J., Combes, F., Edge, A. C., …Vantyghem, A. N. (2019). Driving massive molecular gas flows in central cluster galaxies with AGN feedback. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 490(3), 3025-3045. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2719

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 17, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Sep 30, 2019
• Publication Date: Dec 11, 2019
• Deposit Date: Sep 25, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 3, 2019
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 490
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 3025-3045
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2719
• Keywords: Space and Planetary Science; Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2658101
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article/doi/10.1093/mnras/stz2719/5579032
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society following peer review. The version of record H R Russell, B R McNamara, A C Fabian, P E J Nulsen, F Combes, A C Edge, M Madar, V Olivares, P Salomé, A N Vantyghem, Driving massive molecular gas flows in central cluster galaxies with AGN feedback, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, , stz2719 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2719