LeMMINGs III. The e-MERLIN legacy survey of the Palomar sample: exploring the origin of nuclear radio emission in active and inactive galaxies through the [O iii] – radio connection

Baldi, RD; Williams, DRA; Beswick, RJ; McHardy, I; Dullo, BT; Knapen, JH; Zanisi, L; Argo, MK; Aalto, S; Alberdi, A; Baan, WA; Bendo, GJ; Fenech, DM; Green, DA; Klöckner, H-R; Körding, E; Maccarone, TJ; Marcaide, JM; Mutie, I; Panessa, F; Pérez-Torres, MA; Romero-Cañizales, C; Saikia, DJ; Saikia, P; Shankar, F; Spencer, RE; Stevens, IR; Uttley, P; Brinks, E; Corbel, S; Martí-Vidal, I; Mundell, CG; Pahari, M; Ward, MJ

doi:10.1093/mnras/stab2613

LeMMINGs III. The e-MERLIN legacy survey of the Palomar sample: exploring the origin of nuclear radio emission in active and inactive galaxies through the [O iii] – radio connection

Baldi, RD; Williams, DRA; Beswick, RJ; McHardy, I; Dullo, BT; Knapen, JH; Zanisi, L; Argo, MK; Aalto, S; Alberdi, A; Baan, WA; Bendo, GJ; Fenech, DM; Green, DA; Klöckner, H-R; Körding, E; Maccarone, TJ; Marcaide, JM; Mutie, I; Panessa, F; Pérez-Torres, MA; Romero-Cañizales, C; Saikia, DJ; Saikia, P; Shankar, F; Spencer, RE; Stevens, IR; Uttley, P; Brinks, E; Corbel, S; Martí-Vidal, I; Mundell, CG; Pahari, M; Ward, MJ

Authors

RD Baldi

DRA Williams

RJ Beswick

I McHardy

BT Dullo

JH Knapen

L Zanisi

MK Argo

S Aalto

A Alberdi

WA Baan

GJ Bendo

DM Fenech

DA Green

H-R Klöckner

E Körding

TJ Maccarone

JM Marcaide

I Mutie

F Panessa

MA Pérez-Torres

C Romero-Cañizales

DJ Saikia

P Saikia

F Shankar

RE Spencer

IR Stevens

P Uttley

E Brinks

S Corbel

I Martí-Vidal

CG Mundell

M Pahari

Professor Martin Ward martin.ward@durham.ac.uk
External Examiner (PGR)

Abstract

What determines the nuclear radio emission in local galaxies? To address this question, we combine optical [O III] line emission, robust black hole (BH) mass estimates, and high-resolution e-MERLIN 1.5-GHz data, from the LeMMINGs survey, of a statistically complete sample of 280 nearby optically active (LINER and Seyfert) and inactive [H II and absorption line galaxies (ALGs)] galaxies. Using [O III] luminosity (⁠L[OIII]⁠) as a proxy for the accretion power, local galaxies follow distinct sequences in the optical–radio planes of BH activity, which suggest different origins of the nuclear radio emission for the optical classes. The 1.5-GHz radio luminosity of their parsec-scale cores (Lcore) is found to scale with BH mass (MBH) and [O III] luminosity. Below MBH ∼ 106.5 M⊙, stellar processes from non-jetted H II galaxies dominate with Lcore∝M0.61±0.33BH and Lcore∝L0.79±0.30[OIII]⁠. Above MBH ∼ 106.5 M⊙, accretion-driven processes dominate with Lcore∝M1.5−1.65BH and Lcore∝L0.99−1.31[OIII] for active galaxies: radio-quiet/loud LINERs, Seyferts, and jetted H II galaxies always display (although low) signatures of radio-emitting BH activity, with L1.5GHz≳1019.8 W Hz−1 and MBH ≳ 107 M⊙, on a broad range of Eddington-scaled accretion rates (⁠m˙⁠). Radio-quiet and radio-loud LINERs are powered by low-m˙ discs launching sub-relativistic and relativistic jets, respectively. Low-power slow jets and disc/corona winds from moderately high to high-m˙ discs account for the compact and edge-brightened jets of Seyferts, respectively. Jetted H II galaxies may host weakly active BHs. Fuel-starved BHs and recurrent activity account for ALG properties. In conclusion, specific accretion–ejection states of active BHs determine the radio production and the optical classification of local active galaxies.

Citation

Baldi, R., Williams, D., Beswick, R., McHardy, I., Dullo, B., Knapen, J., …Ward, M. (2021). LeMMINGs III. The e-MERLIN legacy survey of the Palomar sample: exploring the origin of nuclear radio emission in active and inactive galaxies through the [O iii] – radio connection. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 508(2), 2019-2038. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2613

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Sep 7, 2021
Online Publication Date	Oct 15, 2021
Publication Date	2021-12
Deposit Date	Jan 28, 2022
Publicly Available Date	Jan 28, 2022
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Print ISSN	0035-8711
Electronic ISSN	1365-2966
Publisher	Royal Astronomical Society
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	508
Issue	2
Pages	2019-2038
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2613

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This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: © 2021 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.