Conditions for Star Formation in Nearby AGN and QSO Hosts

A short overview

This project aims at understanding the conditions for star formation in active galaxies and the interplay between the AGN nucleus, and the hosts of intermediate redshift (z < 0.1) systems to bridge the gap towards marginally resolved high redshift AGN hosts. At z < 0.1 the frequency of more powerful AGN is higher than locally but at the same time the sub-kpc resolution (down to a few 10 pc) allows us to clearly resolve dynamical patterns and nuclear structures that determine the conditions for star formation. We use results from Milky Way and local galaxies and supply results that are needed to understand higher redshift hosts.

So far, successful work has been done on all subtopics of A2. The distribution and kinematics of molecular gas and star formation in Nuclei of Galaxies (NUGA) could be studied on the basis of new high-resolution data. Nearby QSO spectra in the Infrared together with imaging data has revealed the interplay between nuclear star formation and the non-thermal nucleus. Jet induced star formation was studied in one CenA field and an X-shaped radio galaxy. Furthermore, chemistry and excitation aspects of a few NUGA sources were observed with the HIFI instrument onboard the Herschel space telescope, complementing Plateau de Bure Interferometer-, Near-Infrared-, and Radio data.

Project A2 closely interacts with A1 on high-z QSOs, A3 especially on excitation properties of local galaxies, C1 on excitation of the ISM, and dynamics of astrophysical disks. The properties of evolving galaxies in spiral rich clusters and the distribution of star formation and star formation efficiencies within such systems can be compared to the quantities predicted for the early formation of stars and galaxies in C4. Project A2 provides observational input and is supported (by B1, B2, B3) in the analysis of chemical networks links to non-thermal activities in AGN. The larger scale Galactic Center information provided by project A5 in part serves as a template for the LLAGN hosts. Massive stars as A2 traces them through radio continuum radiation and IR detected HII regions as well as through diagnostic NIR line ratios rely on data from project A6. Here project A2 also relies on diagnostic tools provided for PDR and Shocks by C1 and C2.

Selected Publications

• 2023

• Silke Britzen, Michal Zajaˇcek, Gopal-Krishna, Christian Fendt, Emma Kun, Frederic Jaron, Aimo Sillanpää ,and Andreas Eckart, OJ 287 and Precession-induced Variability in AGN Jets, accepted MNRAS

• 2022

• Peißker, F., Eckart, A., Zajaček, M., & Britzen, S., Observation of S4716-a Star with a 4 yr Orbit around Sgr A*, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 933, Issue 1, id.49, 26 pp.
• Bhat, H. K., Sabha, N. B., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Schödel, R., Hosseini, S. E., Peißker, F., & Zensus, A., Mid-infrared Studies of Dusty Sources in the Galactic Center, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 929, Issue 2, id.178, 21 pp.

• 2021

• Peißker, F., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Ali, B., Karas, V., Sabha, N. B., Grellmann, R., Labadie, L., & Shahzamanian, B., The Apparent Tail of the Galactic Center Object G2/DSO, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 923, Issue 1, id.69, 34 pp.
• Yttergren, M., Misquitta, P., Sánchez-Monge, Á., Valencia-S, M., Eckart, A., Zensus, A., & Peitl-Thiesen, T.,  Gas and stellar dynamics in Stephan's Quintet. Mapping the kinematics in a closely interacting compact galaxy group, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 656, id.A83, 39 pp.
• Audibert, A., Combes, F., García-Burillo, S., Hunt, L., Eckart, A., Aalto, S., Casasola, V., Boone, F., Krips, M., Viti, S., Muller, S., Dasyra, K., van der Werf, P., & Martín, S.,  Black hole feeding and star formation in NGC 1808, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 656, id.A60, 16 pp.
• GRAVITY Collaboration, Amorim, A., Bauböck, M., Bentz, M. C., Brandner, W., Bolzer, M., Clénet, Y., Davies, R., de Zeeuw, P. T., Dexter, J., Drescher, A., Eckart, A., Eisenhauer, F., Förster Schreiber, N. M., Garcia, P. J. V., Genzel, R., Gillessen, S., Gratadour, D., Hönig, S., Kaltenbrunner, D., Kishimoto, M., Lacour, S., Lutz, D., Millour, F., Netzer, H., Onken, C. A., Ott, T., Paumard, T., Perraut, K., Perrin, G., Petrucci, P. O., Pfuhl, O., Prieto, M. A., Rouan, D., Shangguan, J., Shimizu, T., Stadler, J., Sternberg, A., Straub, O., Straubmeier, C., Street, R., Sturm, E., Tacconi, L. J., Tristram, K. R. W., Vermot, P., von Fellenberg, S., Widmann, F., & Woillez, J., A geometric distance to the supermassive black Hole of NGC 3783,Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 654, id.A85, 14 pp.
• Peißker, F., Eckart, A., & Ali, B., Observation of the Apoapsis of S62 in 2019 with NIRC2 and SINFONI, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 918, Issue 1, id.25, 9 pp.
• Witzel, G., Martinez, G., Willner, S. P., Becklin, E. E., Boyce, H., Do, T., Eckart, A., Fazio, G. G., Ghez, A., Gurwell, M. A., Haggard, D., Herrero-Illana, R., Hora, J. L., Li, Z., Liu, J., Marchili, N., Morris, M. R., Smith, H. A., Subroweit, M., & Zensus, J. A., Rapid Variability of Sgr A* across the Electromagnetic Spectrum, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 917, Issue 2, id.73, 29 pp.
• GRAVITY Collaboration, Amorim, A., Bauböck, M., Brandner, W., Bolzer, M., Clénet, Y., Davies, R., de Zeeuw, P. T., Dexter, J., Drescher, A., Eckart, A., Eisenhauer, F., Förster Schreiber, N. M., Gao, F., Garcia, P. J. V., Genzel, R., Gillessen, S., Gratadour, D., Hönig, S., Kaltenbrunner, D., Kishimoto, M., Lacour, S., Lutz, D., Millour, F., Netzer, H., Ott, T., Paumard, T., Perraut, K., Perrin, G., Peterson, B. M., Petrucci, P. O., Pfuhl, O., Prieto, M. A., Rouan, D., Sanchez-Bermudez, J., Shangguan, J., Shimizu, T., Schartmann, M., Stadler, J., Sternberg, A., Straub, O., Straubmeier, C., Sturm, E., Tacconi, L. J., Tristram, K. R. W., Vermot, P., von Fellenberg, S., Waisberg, I., Widmann, F., & Woillez, J., The central parsec of NGC 3783: a rotating broad emission line region, asymmetric hot dust structure, and compact coronal line region, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 648, id.A117, 24 pp.>
• Peißker, F., Ali, B., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Hosseini, S. E., Karas, V., Clénet, Y., Sabha, N. B., Labadie, L., & Subroweit, M., First Observed Interaction of the Circumstellar Envelope of an S-star with the Environment of Sgr A*, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 909, Issue 1, id.62, 19 pp.

• 2020

• Hosseini, S. E., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Sabha, N. B., & Labadie, L., Constraining the accretion flow density profile near Sgr A* using the L'-band emission of the S2 star, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 644, id.A105, 17 pp.
• Zajaček, M., Araudo, A., Karas, V., Czerny, B., & Eckart, A., Depletion of Bright Red Giants in the Galactic Center during Its Active Phases, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 903, Issue 2, id.140, 18 pp.
• GRAVITY Collaboration, Amorim, A., Bauböck, M., Brandner, W., Clénet, Y., Davies, R., de Zeeuw, P. T., Dexter, J., Eckart, A., Eisenhauer, F., Förster Schreiber, N. M., Gao, F., Garcia, P. J. V., Genzel, R., Gillessen, S., Gratadour, D., Hönig, S., Kishimoto, M., Lacour, S., Lutz, D., Millour, F., Netzer, H., Ott, T., Paumard, T., Perraut, K., Perrin, G., Peterson, B. M., Petrucci, P. O., Pfuhl, O., Prieto, M. A., Rouan, D., Shangguan, J., Shimizu, T., Schartmann, M., Stadler, J., Sternberg, A., Straub, O., Straubmeier, C., Sturm, E., Tacconi, L. J., Tristram, K. R. W., Vermot, P., von Fellenberg, S., Waisberg, I., Widmann, F., & Woillez, J., The spatially resolved broad line region of IRAS 09149-6206, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 643, id.A154, 24 pp.
• Peißker, F., Eckart, A., Zajaček, M., Ali, B., & Parsa, M., S62 and S4711: Indications of a Population of Faint Fast-moving Stars inside the S2 Orbit—S4711 on a 7.6 yr Orbit around Sgr A*, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 899, Issue 1, id.50
• Subroweit, M., Mossoux, E., & Eckart, A.,  Synchrotron Self-Compton Scattering in Sgr A* Derived from NIR and X-Ray Flare Statistics, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 898, Issue 2, id.138
• Tursunov, A., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Kološ, M., Britzen, S., Stuchlík, Z., Czerny, B., & Karas, V.,  Effect of Electromagnetic Interaction on Galactic Center Flare Components, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 897, Issue 1, id.99
• Peißker, F., Eckart, A., Sabha, N. B., Zajaček, M., & Bhat, H., Near- and Mid-infrared Observations in the Inner Tenth of a Parsec of the Galactic Center Detection of Proper Motion of a Filament Very Close to Sgr A*, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 897, Issue 1, id.28, 14 pp.
• Misquitta, P., Bowles, M., Eckart, A., Yttergren, M., Busch, G., Valencia-S., M., & Fazeli, N., Interactions among intermediate redshift galaxies. The case of SDSS J134420.86+663717.8,Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 639, id.A30, 14 pp.
• Ali, B., Paul, D., Eckart, A., Parsa, M., Zajacek, M., Peißker, F., Subroweit, M., Valencia-S., M., Thomkins, L., & Witzel, G.,     Kinematic Structure of the Galactic Center S Cluster, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 896, Issue 2, id.100, 19 pp. (2020)
• Fazeli, N., Busch, G., Eckart, A., Combes, F., Misquitta, P., & Straubmeier, C., Central kiloparsec of NGC 1326 observed with SINFONI. A nuclear molecular disc inside the starburst ring, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 638, id.A53, 14 pp.
• Fazeli, N., Eckart, A., Busch, G., Yttergren, M., Combes, F., Misquitta, P., & Straubmeier, C., Near-infrared observations of the gas structure and kinematics in the circumnuclear region of NGC 1672, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 638, id.A36, 13 pp.
• Peißker, F., Hosseini, S. E., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Saalfeld, R., Valencia-S., M., Parsa, M., & Karas, V., Monitoring dusty sources in the vicinity of Sagittarius A*, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 634, id.A35, 27 pp.
• Peißker, F., Eckart, A., & Parsa, M., S62 on a 9.9 yr Orbit around SgrA*, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 889, Issue 1, id.61, 12 pp. (2020)

• 2019

• Audibert, A., Combes, F., García-Burillo, S., Hunt, L., Eckart, A., Aalto, S., Casasola, V., Boone, F., Krips, M., Viti, S., Muller, S., Dasyra, K., van der Werf, P., & Martín, S., ALMA captures feeding and feedback from the active galactic nucleus in NGC 613, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 632, id.A33, 19 pp.
• Zajaček, M., Busch, G., Valencia-S., M., Eckart, A., Britzen, S., Fuhrmann, L., Schneeloch, J., Fazeli, N., Harrington, K. C., & Zensus, J. A., Radio spectral index distribution of SDSS-FIRST sources across optical diagnostic diagrams, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 630, id.A83, 19 pp.
• Moultaka, J., Eckart, A., Tikare, K., & Bajat, A., High-spectral resolution M-band observations of CO Rot-Vib absorption lines towards the Galactic center, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 626, id.A44, 23 pp.
• Peißker, F., Zajaček, M., Eckart, A., Sabha, N. B., Shahzamanian, B., & Parsa, M., New bow-shock source with bipolar morphology in the vicinity of Sgr A*, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 624, id.A97, 14 pp.
• Combes, F., García-Burillo, S., Audibert, A., Hunt, L., Eckart, A., Aalto, S., Casasola, V., Boone, F., Krips, M., Viti, S., Sakamoto, K., Muller, S., Dasyra, K., van der Werf, P., & Martin, S.,  ALMA observations of molecular tori around massive black holes, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 623, id.A79, 19 pp.
• Fazeli, N., Busch, G., Valencia-S., M., Eckart, A., Zajaček, M., Combes, F., & García-Burillo, S., Near-infrared observations of star formation and gas flows in the NUGA galaxy NGC 1365, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 622, id.A128, 20 pp.

• 2018

• Mossoux, Enmanuelle; Eckart, Andreas; The X-ray footprint of the circumnuclear disc; 2018, MNRAS 474, 3787;
• Eckart, A.; Parsa, M.; Mossoux, E.; Shahzamanian, B.; Zajacek, M.; Hosseini, E.; Subroweit, M.; Peissker, F.; Sabha, N.; Valencia-S., M.; and 4 coauthors; Light and shadow in the Galactic Center - On the detection of the relativistic periastron shift of star S2 in the Galactic Center; 2018 arXiv180601096E
• Markakis, K.; Eckart, A.; Castro, N.; Sánchez-Monge, Á.; Labadie, L.; Nishiyama, S.; Britzen, S.; Zensus, J. A.; High-resolution Observations of Cen A: Yellow and Red Supergiants in a Region of Jet-induced Star Formation?; 2018, ApJ 852, 63

• 2017

• Eckart, Andreas; Hüttemann, Andreas; Kiefer, Claus; Britzen, Silke; Zajaček, Michal; Lämmerzahl, Claus; Stöckler, Manfred; Valencia-S, Monica; Karas, Vladimir; García-Marín, Macarena; The Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole: How Good a Case Is It?; 2017, FoPh 47, 553
• Gravity Collaboration; Garcia Lopez, R.; Perraut, K.; Caratti O Garatti, A.; Lazareff, B.; Sanchez-Bermudez, J.; Benisty, M.; Dougados, C.; Labadie, L.; Brandner, W.; and 64 coauthors ; The wind and the magnetospheric accretion onto the T Tauri star S Coronae Australis at sub-au resolution; 2017, A&A 608, 78;
• Krumpe, M.; Husemann, B.; Tremblay, G. R.; Urrutia, T.; Powell, M.; Davis, T. A.; Scharwächter, J.; Dexter, J.; Busch, G.; Combes, F.; and 5 coauthors; The Close AGN Reference Survey (CARS). Mrk 1018 halts dimming and experiences strong short-term variability; 2017, A&A 607, L9;
• Parsa, M.; Eckart, A.; Shahzamanian, B.; Karas, V.; Zajaček, M.; Zensus, J. A.; Straubmeier, C.; Investigating the Relativistic Motion of the Stars Near the Supermassive Black Hole in the Galactic Center; 2017, ApJ 845, 22;
• Moser, Lydia; Sánchez-Monge, Álvaro; Eckart, Andreas; Requena-Torres, Miguel A.; García-Marin, Macarena; Kunneriath, Devaky; Zensus, Anton; Britzen, Silke; Sabha, Nadeen; Shahzamanian, Banafsheh; and 2 coauthors; Approaching hell's kitchen: Molecular daredevil clouds in the vicinity of Sagittarius A*; 2017, A&A 603, 68;
• Zajacek, M.; Eckart, A.; Shahzamanian, B.; Polarimetry Narrows Down the Possibilities for the Dusty S-Cluster Object (DSO/G2) in the Galactic Centre; 2017, Obs 137, 112;
• Zajaček, Michal; Britzen, Silke; Eckart, Andreas; Shahzamanian, Banafsheh; Busch, Gerold; Karas, Vladimír; Parsa, Marzieh; Peissker, Florian; Dovčiak, Michal; Subroweit, Matthias; and 2 coauthors; Nature of the Galactic centre NIR-excess sources. I. What can we learn from the continuum observations of the DSO/G2 source?; 2017, A&A 602, 121;
• Busch, Gerold; Eckart, Andreas; Valencia-S., Mónica; Fazeli, Nastaran; Scharwächter, Julia; Combes, Françoise; García-Burillo, Santiago; Star formation and gas flows in the centre of the NUGA galaxy NGC 1808 observed with SINFONI; 2017, A&A 598, 55;

• 2016

• Shahzamanian, B., Eckart, A., Zajacek, M., Valencia-S., Sabha, N., et al., Polarized near-infrared light of the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) at the Galactic center, 2016, A&A 593, 131
• Borkar, A., Eckart, A., Straubmeier, C., et al., Monitoring the Galactic Centre with the Australia Telescope Compact Array, 2016, MNRAS 458, 2336
• Garcia-Burillo, S., Combes, F., ... Eckart, A., et al., ALMA Resolves the Torus of NGC 1068: Continuum and Molecular Line Emission, 2016, ApJL 823, 12
• Busch, G., Fazeli, N., Eckart, A., Valencia-S., M., et al., A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample. V. Overluminous host spheroids and their excitation mechanisms, 2016, A&A 587, 138
• Moser, L., ..., Busch, G., ..., Eckart, A., et al., A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample . IV. Molecular gas contents and conditions of star formation in three nearby Seyfert galaxies, 2016, A&A 587, 137
• Zajacek, M., Eckart, A., ..., Shahzamanian, B., Sabha, N., ..., Valencia-S., M., Effect of an isotropic outflow from the Galactic Centre on the bow-shock evolution along the orbit, 2016, MNRAS 455, 1257

• 2015

• Valencia-S., M., Eckart, A., Zajacek, M., Peissker, F., et al., Monitoring the Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO/G2) on its Orbit toward the Galactic Center Black Hole, 2015, ApJ 800, 125
• Rashed, Y.E., Eckart, A., Valencia-S., M., et al., Line and continuum variability in active galaxies, 2015, MNRAS 454, 2918
• Shahzamanian, B., Eckart, A., Valencia-S., M., Witzel, G., et al., Polarized light from Sagittarius A* in the near-infrared Ks-band, 2015, A&A 576, 20
• Smajic, S., Moser, L., Eckart, A., Busch, G., et al., The nuclear gas disk of NGC 1566 dissected by SINFONI and ALMA, 2015, A&A 583, 104
• Tremou, E., ..., Eckart, A., Valencia-S., M., et al., A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample. III. Optical spectroscopic properties and activity classification, 2015, A&A 580, 113
• Vitale, M., Fuhrmann, L., Garcia-Marin, M., Eckart, A., et al., Galaxy evolution across the optical emission-line diagnostic diagrams?, 2015, A&A 573, 93
• Busch, G., Smajic, S., Scharwächter, J., Eckart, A., Valencia-S., M., et al., A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample. II. Tracing circumnuclear star formation in HE 1029-1831 with SINFONI, 2015, A&A 575, 128

• 2014

• Smajic, S., Moser, L., Eckart, A., ..., Combes, ..., Garcia-Burillo, et al., ALMA-backed NIR high resolution integral field spectroscopy of the NUGA Galaxy NGC1433, 2014, A&A 567, 119
• Jalali, B., ..., Eckart, A., ..., Sabha, N., et al., Star formation in the vicinity of nuclear black holes: young stellar objects close to Sgr A*, 2014, MNRAS 444, 1205
• ​Combes, F.; Garcia-Burillo, S.; Casasola, V.; ... Eckart, A. et al., ALMA reveals the feeding of the Seyfert 1 nucleus in NGC 1566, 2014, A&A 565, 97
• Zajacek, M., Karas, V., Eckart, A., Dust-enshrouded star near supermassive black hole: predictions for high-eccentricity passages near low-luminosity galactic nuclei, 2014, A&A 565, 17
• Busch, G.; Zuther, J.; Valencia-S., M.; Moser, L.; Fischer, S.; Eckart, A.; et al., A low-luminosity type-1 QSO sample: I. Overluminous host spheroidals or undermassive black holes?; 2014, A&A 561, 140
   

• 2013

• Bremer, M.; Scharwächter, J.; Eckart, A.; Valencia-S., M.; Zuther, J.; Combes, F.; et al, What produces the extended LINER-type emission in the NUGA galaxy, NGC 5850?, 2013, A&A 558, 34
• Rashed, Y. E.; Zuther, J.; Eckart, A. ; Busch, G.; Valencia-S., M.; Vitale, M.; Britzen, S. ; Muxlow, T., High-resolution observations of SDSS J080800.99+483807.7 in the optical and radio domains. A possible example of jet-triggered star formation, 2013, A&A 558, 5
• Eckart, A., Britzen, S., Horrobin, M., Zamaninasab, M., et al., The Galactic Center as a Paradigme for Low Luminosity Nuclei; refereed; in press; Bad Honnef Proc; ,2013, arXiv13112743E
• Combes, F.; Garcia-Burillo, S.; Casasola, V.; ... Eckart, A. et al., ALMA observations of feeding and feedback in nearby Seyfert galaxies: an AGN-driven outflow in NGC 1433, 2013, A&A 558, 124
• Eckart, A.; Muzic, K.; Yazici, S.; Sabha, N.; Shahzamanian, B.; Witzel, G.; et al., Near-infrared proper motions and spectroscopy of infrared excess sources at the Galactic center, 2013, A&A, 551, 18

• 2012

• Witzel, G.; Eckart, A.; Bremer, M.; Zamaninasab, M.; Shahzamanian, B.; et al., Source-intrinsic Near-infrared Properties of SgrA*: Total Intensity Measurements; 2012, ApJS 203, 18
• Vitale, M.; Zuther, J.; García-Marin, M.; Eckart, A.; Bremer, M.; Valencia-S., M.; Zensus, A; Classifying radio emitters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Spectroscopy and diagnostics, 2012, A&A 546, 17
• Sabha, N.; Eckart, A.; Merritt, D.; et al., The S-star cluster at the center of the Milky Way. On the nature of diffuse NIR emission in the inner tenth of a parsec, 2012, A&A 545, 70
• Valencia-S., M.; Zuther, J.; Eckart, A.; García-Marín, M.; Iserlohe, C.; Wright Is IRAS 01072+4954 a True-Seyfert 2?. Hints from near-infrared integral field spectroscopy, 2012 A&A 544, 129
• Koenig, S.; Garcia-Marin, M.; Eckart, A.; Downes, D.; Scharwächter,J.;The Arp 220 Merger on kpc Scales, 2012 ApJ 754, 58