James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Arxiv: Resolving turbulence drivers in two luminous obscured quasars with JWST/NIRSpec IFU Published: 10/18/2024 9:00:41 PM Updated: 1/7/2025 12:26:17 AM

Paper abstract: In this Letter, we investigate the turbulence and energy injection in theextended nebulae surrounding two luminous obscured quasars, WISEAJ100211.29+013706.7 (z=1.5933) and SDSS J165202.64+172852.3 (z=2.9489).Utilizing high-resolution data from the NIRSpec IFU onboard the James WebbSpace Telescope, we analyze the velocity fields of line-emitting gas in andaround these quasars and construct the second-order velocity structurefunctions (VSFs) to quantify turbulent motions across different spatial scales.Our findings reveal a notable flattening in the VSFs from ~\!3 kpc upto a scale of 10--20 kpc, suggesting that energy injection predominantly occursat a scale <~10 kpc, likely powered by quasar outflows and jet-drivenbubbles. The extended spatial range of flat VSFs may also indicate the presenceof multiple energy injection sources at these scales. For J1652, the turbulentenergy in the host interstellar medium (ISM) is significantly higher than intidally stripped gas, consistent with the expectation of active galacticnucleus (AGN) activities stirring up the host ISM. Compared to the VSFsobserved on spatial scales of 10--50 kpc around lower-redshift UV-brightquasars, these obscured quasars exhibit higher turbulent energies in theirimmediate surroundings, implying different turbulence drivers between the ISMand halo-scale gas. Future studies with an expanded sample are essential toelucidate further the extent and the pivotal role of AGNs in shaping the gaskinematics of host galaxies and beyond.