|
1
|
Izumi T, Wada K, Imanishi M, Nakanishi K, Kohno K, Kudoh Y, Kawamuro T, Baba S, Matsumoto N, Fujita Y, Tristram KRW. Supermassive black hole feeding and feedback observed on subparsec scales. Science 2023; 382:554-559. [PMID: 37917712 DOI: 10.1126/science.adf0569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Active galaxies contain a supermassive black hole at their center that grows by accreting matter from the surrounding galaxy. The accretion process in about the central 10 parsecs has not been directly resolved in previous observations because of the small apparent angular sizes involved. We observed the active nucleus of the Circinus Galaxy using submillimeter interferometry. A dense inflow of molecular gas was evident on subparsec scales. We calculated that less than 3% of this inflow is accreted by the black hole, with the rest being ejected by multiphase outflows, providing feedback to the host galaxy. Our observations also reveal a dense gas disk surrounding the inflow that is gravitationally unstable, which drives the accretion into about the central 1 parsec.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takuma Izumi
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
- Department of Astronomical Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - Keiichi Wada
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
- Research Center for Space and Cosmic Evolution, Ehime University, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
- Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Imanishi
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
- Department of Astronomical Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - Kouichiro Nakanishi
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
- Department of Astronomical Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
| | - Kotaro Kohno
- Institute of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan
- Research Center for the Early Universe, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuki Kudoh
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
- Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Taiki Kawamuro
- Cluster for Pioneering Research, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Baba
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
| | - Naoki Matsumoto
- Astronomical Institute, Tohoku University, Miyagi 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yutaka Fujita
- Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
| | | |
Collapse
|