WISDOM Project Study Challenges Established Correlations in Galactic Nuclear Activity
In a groundbreaking study published in the ‘Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,’ the WISDOM Project delves into the enigmatic relationship between circumnuclear molecular gas reservoirs and the fuelling of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in an array of proximate galaxies. The study’s sample encompasses diverse types of nuclear activity—radio galaxies, Seyfert galaxies, low-luminosity AGN, and inactive galaxies—providing a comprehensive analysis of the subject.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Galactic Nuclear Activity
Utilizing high-resolution data sourced from the millimetre-Wave Interferometric Survey of Dark Object Masses (WISDOM) and supplementing it with archival tracers of AGN accretion and activity, the research scrutinizes the previously suggested correlation between cold molecular gas mass at circumnuclear scales (less than 100 parsecs) and nuclear activity. However, contravening earlier speculations, the study’s findings debunk any significant correlation between the mass of cold molecular gas surrounding supermassive black holes (SMBH) and any discernible trace of nuclear activity.
Challenging Existing Understandings of AGN Fueling
The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that the levels of nuclear activity are not solely dictated by the quantum of available cold gas. This infers that AGN fuelling processes—responsible for driving gas from the large-scale galaxy to nuclear regions—may not be uniform across different types of AGN. The variations in these processes, particularly in terms of timescales, could potentially play an influential role in shaping nuclear activity.
Exploring Variations in Nuclear Molecular Gas Concentrations
Furthermore, the study also observes discrepancies in the concentration of nuclear molecular gas across the sampled galaxies. These variations denote that AGN feedback may have impacted the circumnuclear regions in certain instances, even in the presence of currently low nuclear activity. Alternatively, the gas concentrations in these regions could be influenced by secular processes as opposed to AGN feedback, suggesting a more complex interplay at work within these cosmic phenomena.
