Simulating radio emission from flickering AGN jets: travelling shocks and hotspot brightening
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 91探花 University Press (OUP) 546:2 (2026) stag131
Abstract:
ABSTRACT We investigate the impact of flickering variability in jet power on the luminosity and morphology of radio galaxies. We use a Lagrangian particle method together with relativistic hydrodynamics simulations using the pluto code to track the evolution of electron spectra through particle acceleration at shocks and cooling processes. We introduce an adapted version of this method which improves tracking of adiabatic cooling in regimes where low density jet material mixes with high density from the ambient medium in the lobes. We find that rapid increases in jet power can lead to large increases in hotspot luminosity due to the interaction of a travelling shock structure with the pre-existing shock structure at the jet head. We show that in some cases it may be possible to identify a bright region of emission corresponding to a shock travelling along the jet axis. We find that the time-averaged radiative efficiency of variable jets is similar to their steady counterparts, but find significant departures from this on an instantaneous basis. We suggest that, together with environmental effects and differences in the average powers of jets, variable jet powers may have a significant impact on how we understand the diversity of radio jets seen in observations and have significant implications for interpretations of jet powers, energy budgets, and luminosity-linear size diagrams.There Is More to Outshining: 2D Dust Effects on Stellar Mass Estimates at $3 \leq z < 9$ with JWST in the JADES Field
(2026)
Undermassive Hosts of $z = 4-6 $ AGN from JWST/NIRCam Image Decomposition with CONGRESS, FRESCO, and JADES
(2026)
Extreme Neutral Outflow in a Non-active Galactic Nucleus Quiescent Galaxy at z 鈭 1.3
The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society 997:2 (2026) 140
Abstract:
We report the discovery of a substantial sodium doublet (Na D 位位5890, 5896)鈥攖raced neutral outflow in the quiescent galaxy JADES-GS-206183 at z = 1.317. Its JWST/NIRSpec-Microshutter Array spectrum shows a deep, blueshifted Na D absorption, revealing a neutral outflow with vout=828鈭49+79kms鈭1 and a mass outflow rate of log(M虈out/M鈯檡r鈭1)=2.40鈭0.16+0.11 . This outflow rate exceeds that of any neutral outflows identified beyond z 鈭 1 by the same line and is comparable with those in local galaxies with intensive star formation (SF) or luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN). JADES-GS-206183 is also a peculiar quiescent galaxy with a spiral+bar morphology, high dust attenuation (AV = 2.27 卤 0.23 mag). Paschen 伪 (Pa伪) emission from the FRESCO NIRCam grism confirms its low star formation rate (SFRPa伪 = 10.78 卤 0.55 M鈯 yr鈭1), placing it 0.5 dex below the main sequence ( log(sSFRyr鈭1)=鈭10.2 ). Despite the systematics introduced by different SF history priors, the spectral energy distribution modeling, combining Hubble Space Telescope-to-NIRCam photometry with the Very Large Telescope/MUSE spectrum, suggests that JADES-GS-206183 experienced an older episode of SF 0.5鈥2 Gyr ago and a possible rejuvenation within the recent 鈭10 Myr. Moreover, rest-frame optical lines indicate that the current AGN activity of JADES-GS-206183, if present, is also weak. Even though we tentatively detect a broad component of the H伪 line, it likely traces an ionized outflow rather than an AGN. The results demonstrate that the Na D outflow in JADES-GS-206183 is highly unlikely to be driven by current SF or nuclear activity. Instead, it may represent a long-lasting fossil outflow from past AGN activity, potentially cotriggered with the early phase of rejuvenation.How Accurately Can Obscured Galaxy Luminosities Be Measured Using Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting of Near- through Far-infrared Observations?
The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society 997:2 (2026) 150