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Observational Evidence of Active Galactic Nuclei Feedback

2012/04/18 by A. C. Fabian, A.C. Fabian · 2,787 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Accretion (finance) #Active galactic nucleus #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Black hole (networking) #Cooling flow #Elliptical galaxy #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Interstellar medium #Intracluster medium #Physics #Quasar #Radiative cooling #Radiative transfer #Radio galaxy #Star formation #Supermassive black hole #astro-ph.CO #astro-ph.HE

paper · pdf · doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-081811-125521

published in Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 50(1), 455-489 (Annual Reviews) · 35 pages, 17 figures, ARAA in press

arxiv created 2012/04/18 · openalex publication_date 2012/06/23 · arxiv updated 2015/06/04 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06

Abstract

Radiation, winds, and jets from the active nucleus of a massive galaxy can interact with its interstellar medium, and this can lead to ejection or heating of the gas. This terminates star formation in the galaxy and stifles accretion onto the black hole. Such active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback can account for the observed proportionality between the central black hole and the host galaxy mass. Direct observational evidence for the radiative or quasar mode of feedback, which occurs when AGN are very luminous, has been difficult to obtain but is accumulating from a few exceptional objects. Feedback from the kinetic or radio mode, which uses the mechanical energy of radio-emitting jets often seen when AGN are operating at a lower level, is common in massive elliptical galaxies. This mode is well observed directly through X-ray observations of the central galaxies of cool core clusters in the form of bubbles in the hot surrounding medium. The energy flow, which is roughly continuous, heats the hot intracluster gas and reduces radiative cooling and subsequent star formation by an order of magnitude. Feedback appears to maintain a long-lived heating/cooling balance. Powerful, jetted radio outbursts may represent a further mode of energy feedback that affects the cores of groups and subclusters. New telescopes and instruments from the radio to X-ray bands will come into operation over the next several years and lead to a rapid expansion in observational data on all modes of AGN feedback.

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