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AGN-driven metallicity enrichment in the ISM of Mrk 573

D. Ł. Król, P. Zhu, G. Fabbiano, M. Elvis, L. J. Kewley, N. Murray, R. Middei, A. Trindade-Falcão

Abstract

We present the first spatially resolved at $\sim20$ pc scale application of AGN-specific metallicity diagnostics for the nearby Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 573 ($z = 0.017$). We use Hubble Space Telescope narrow-band imaging, MUSE integral-field spectroscopy and apply AGN strong-line metallicity diagnostics based on [O III], [S II], H$β$, H$α$, and [N II] emission lines. We construct maps of $12 + \log$(O/H) for two different metallicity calibrations and two different N/O-O/H scaling relations out to $\sim1$ kpc and down to $\sim20$ pc scales. Our analysis reveals metallicity enhancement in AGN-dominated regions, with oxygen abundances reaching up to few times Solar. The metallicity shows a patchy spatial distribution, varying on $\sim100$ pc scales, appears to trace the high Seyfert/LINER index (SLI) value regions and the VLA 6 cm jet/radio lobe emission. These spatial correspondences and the lack of evidence for star formation in the bicone region suggest that the enrichment originates from metals transported from the nuclear AGN regions by winds, outflows, or jets.

AGN-driven metallicity enrichment in the ISM of Mrk 573

Abstract

We present the first spatially resolved at pc scale application of AGN-specific metallicity diagnostics for the nearby Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 573 (). We use Hubble Space Telescope narrow-band imaging, MUSE integral-field spectroscopy and apply AGN strong-line metallicity diagnostics based on [O III], [S II], H, H, and [N II] emission lines. We construct maps of (O/H) for two different metallicity calibrations and two different N/O-O/H scaling relations out to kpc and down to pc scales. Our analysis reveals metallicity enhancement in AGN-dominated regions, with oxygen abundances reaching up to few times Solar. The metallicity shows a patchy spatial distribution, varying on pc scales, appears to trace the high Seyfert/LINER index (SLI) value regions and the VLA 6 cm jet/radio lobe emission. These spatial correspondences and the lack of evidence for star formation in the bicone region suggest that the enrichment originates from metals transported from the nuclear AGN regions by winds, outflows, or jets.
Paper Structure (12 sections, 4 equations, 2 figures)

This paper contains 12 sections, 4 equations, 2 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Data and analysis
  3. Data
  4. VO mapping
  5. SLI mapping
  6. Metallicity diagnostics
  7. Metallicity maps
  8. Results
  9. Discussion
  10. Enrichment via winds and outflows
  11. Enrichment via Jets
  12. Summary and Conclusion

Figures (2)

  • Figure 1: SLI map and diagram for Mrk 573. Left panel: SLI map, with colors reflecting SLI values, i.e. the distance of each pixel from the Seyfert/LINER division line in the VO diagram. Black contours trace points on the Seyfert/LINER division line (SLI$=0$). The black "X" marks the position of the nucleus. Right panel: corresponding VO diagram, with red indicating Seyfert-like excitation and blue denoting LINER-like excitation. The color intensity scales with the SLI value.
  • Figure 2: Metallicity ($\log {\rm (O/H)}+12$) maps calculated for AGN-type regions, based on R1 (upper row) and R2 (lower row) metallicity diagnostics and assuming low (left panels) and high (right panels) nitrogen scaling relations. Black contours trace SLI value on the top-left panel, $6$ cm radio jet/radio-lobes emission and soft ($0.3$-$2.0$ keV) Chandra X-ray emission in bottom-left panel. Dashed lines on the color scale mark Solar, $2\times$Solar and $5\times$Solar abundances Bergemann21.