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Further evidence for a quasar-driven jet impacting its neighbour galaxy: the saga of HE0450-2958 continues

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posted on 2023-06-09, 05:03 authored by D Cs Molnár, Mark Sargent, D Elbaz, P P Papadopoulos, J Silk
HE0450-2958, an interacting quasar-starburst galaxy pair at z = 0.285, is one of the best known examples of strong star formation activity in the presence of a quasardriven jet. We present new multi-band JVLA-imaging covering 1 to 6 GHz and reaching an angular resolution of up to 0” . 6 (a 6-fold improvement over existing radio data). We confirm the previous detection of a spatially extended radio component around the quasar indicating that there is on-going star formation activity in the quasar host galaxy. For the first time, we directly detect a jet-like bipolar outflow from the quasar aligned with its companion star-forming galaxy (SFG) and several blobs of ionized gas in its vicinity identified in previous studies. Within the companion SFG we find evidence for a flattening of the synchrotron spectral index towards the point of intersection with the jet axis, further suggesting that the outflow may actually be impacting its interstellar medium (ISM). We discuss two possible mechanisms that could have triggered the starburst in the companion SFG: a wet-dry merger with the quasar and jet-induced star formation. While triggering through interaction-driven gas dynamics cannot be excluded with current data, our new observations make HE0450-2958 a strong candidate for jet-induced star formation, and one of the rare links between local systems (like Minkowski’s Object or Centaurus A) and the high-z regime where radio-optical alignments suggest that this phenomenon could be more common.

Funding

STFC quota studentships; G1439; STFC-SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FACILITIES COUNCIL; ST/M503836/1

Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship; G1946; Royal Society; LT150041

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

ISSN

0035-8711

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Issue

1

Volume

467

Page range

586-596

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Astronomy Centre Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-02-06

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2017-02-06

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-02-06

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