We investigate the stellar populations and ionised gas properties of a sample of central spheroidal galaxies in order to better constrain their history of star formation and gas excitation mechanism. We select galaxies from Spheroids Panchromatic Investigation in Different Environmental Regions (SPIDER) catalogue and separate these galaxies in different regimes of halo and galaxy mass. To characterise the stellar population properties of these galaxies we use the stellar population synthesis method with the Starlight code, and the presence of ionised gas is identified by measurements of the Hα equivalent width. We analyse how these properties behave as a function of the galaxy stellar mass and the parent halo mass. A trend is observed in the sense of increased ionised gas emission for low-mass centrals in high-mass halos. We interpret this trend in a scenario of intracluster medium (ICM) cooling versus active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback in a Bondi accretion context.

Jellyfish galaxies are the most striking examples of galaxies undergoing ram pressure stripping – the removal of gas as a result of a hydrodynamic friction in dense environments. As part of the OMEGA (OSIRIS Mapping of Emission-line Galaxies in Abell 901/2) survey, we have identified the largest sample of jellyfish galaxies in a single system to this date, located in the Abell 901/2 multi-cluster system at z ˜ 0.165. We present our results with a detailed description of this sample regarding their very high star formation rates and their unique spatial distribution pattern that can be explained as a result of the merging system triggering ram pressure stripping events. Furthermore, we also show the results of our most recent morphometric studies where we use Morfometryka as a tool to characterise the morphologies and structural evolution of jellyfish galaxies. Our morphometric analysis shows that jellyfish galaxy candidates have peculiar concave regions in their surface brightness profiles. Therefore, these profiles are less concentrated (lower Sérsic indices) than other star forming galaxies that are not experiencing such extreme ram pressure effects.

Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) are stellar systems similar in size to globular clusters (GCs) but extremely dense, comparable only to some GCs and ultra-compact dwarfs. They are present in galaxies with a wide range of masses, morphologies and gas content. There are several formation scenarios proposed for the formation of such objects, such as the merger of GCs or extreme star formation caused by the inflow of gas. Recent studies show that the presence of an NSC is related to galaxy stellar mass. Moreover, it has been suggested that NSCs are more often found in high density environments. In our work, we use deep imaging of the core regions of the Coma cluster down to an absolute magnitude of –8.2 and found that in this environment the nucleation fraction is higher than in the Virgo and Fornax clusters. We find nucleated galaxies in Coma as faint as –11.2 mag.

We have analyzed Chandra/High Energy Transmission Grating spectra of the X-ray emission line gas in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4151. The zeroth-order spectral images show extended H- and He-like O and Ne, up to a distance r ˜ 200 pc from the nucleus. Using the 1st-order spectra, we measure an average line velocity ˜230 km s–1, suggesting significant outflow of X-ray gas. We generated Cloudy photoionization models to fit the 1st-order spectra; the fit required three distinct emission-line components. To estimate the total mass of ionized gas (M) and the mass outflow rates, we applied the model parameters to fit the zeroth-order emission-line profiles of Ne IX and Ne X. We determined an M ≍ 5.4 × 105 Mʘ. Assuming the same kinematic profile as that for the [O III] gas, derived from our analysis of Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph spectra, the peak X-ray mass outflow rate is approximately 1.8 Mʘ yr–1, at r ˜ 150 pc. The total mass and mass outflow rates are similar to those determined using [O III], implying that the X-ray gas is a major outflow component. However, unlike the optical outflows, the X-ray emitting mass outflow rate does not drop off at r > 100pc, which suggests that it may have a greater impact on the host galaxy.

We have conducted a multi-wavelength survey of distant (1.3 < z < 2.6) luminous quasars host galaxies using the Keck integral field spectrograph (IFS) OSIRIS and laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS-AO) system, ALMA, HST and VLA. Studying distant quasar host galaxies is essential for understanding the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback on the interstellar medium (ISM), and its capability of regulating the growth of massive galaxies and their supermassive black holes (SMBH). The combination of LGS-AO and OSIRIS affords the necessary spatial resolution and contrast to disentangle the bright quasar emission from that of its faint host galaxy. We resolve the nebular emission lines, [OIII], [NII],, and [SII] at a sub-kiloparsec resolution to study the distribution, kinematics, and dynamics of the warm-ionized ISM in each quasar host galaxy. The goal of the survey was to search for ionized outflows and relate their spatial extent and energetics to the star-forming properties of the host galaxy. Combining ALMA and OSIRIS, we directly test whether outflows detected with OSIRIS are affecting the molecular ISM. We find that several mechanisms are responsible for driving the outflows within our systems, including radiation pressure in low and high column density environments as well as adiabatic and isothermal shocks driven by the quasar. From line ratio diagnostics, we obtain resolved measurements of the photoionization mechanisms and the gas-phase metallicity. We find that the quasars are responsible for photoionizing the majority of the ISM with metalicities lower than that of gas photoionized by AGN in the low redshift systems. We are now obtaining detailed observations of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of these systems with the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI). The gas in the CGM may play an essential role in the evolution of these galaxies.

Sensitive (noise ∼16 μJy beam−1), high-resolution (∼10″) MeerKAT observations of show that its giant lobes have a double-shell morphology, where dense filaments are embedded in a diffuse and extended cocoon, while the central radio jets are confined within the host galaxy. The spectral radio properties of the lobes and jets of reveal that its nuclear activity is rapidly flickering. Multiple episodes of nuclear activity must have formed the radio lobes, for which the last stopped 12 Myr ago. More recently (∼3 Myr ago), a less powerful and short (≲1 Myr) phase of nuclear activity generated the central jets. The distribution and kinematics of the neutral and molecular gas in the centre give insights on the interaction between the recurrent nuclear activity and the surrounding interstellar medium.

Feedback from accreting supermassive black holes is often invoked in galaxy evolution models to inhibit star formation, truncate galaxy growth, and establish the observed black-hole/bulge mass correlation. We are studying outflows and feedback in a unique sample of extremely red quasars (ERQs) during the peak epoch of galaxy formation (at redshifts 2.3 < z < 3.4). We identified ERQs in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III (SDSS-III) Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS) quasar catalog based on their extremely red i–W3 colors, but we find that ERQs typically have a suite of other extreme properties including 1) a high incidence of blueshifted broad absorption lines, 2) broad emission lines with unusually large rest equivalent widths (REWs), peculiar “wingless” profiles, and frequent large blueshifts (reaching ˜8740 km s-1), and 3) characteristically very broad and blueshifted [OIII] 4959,5007Å lines that trace ionized outflows at speeds up to ˜6700 km s-1. We propose that these ERQs represent a young quasar population with powerful outflows on the precipice of causing important disruptive feedback effects in their host galaxies.

In this study, we aim to investigate the relation between nuclear activity and the environment for luminous (L[O III] >7.63 × 1041 erg s–1) Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) - that, at these luminosities are classified as quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) - using a sample of 436 type 2 QSOs. Recent studies suggest that there is an excess of interacting hosts in luminous AGN, indicating that interactions trigger the nuclear activity. In order to examine this, it is necessary to select a control sample of non-active galaxies, matched to the active ones by the properties of the host galaxies, such as distance and stellar mass. We present here the results of the search for such a control sample.

Our aim is to explore the close environment of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and its connection to the host galaxy through the morphology and dynamics of the cold gas inside the central kpc in nearby AGN. We report Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of AGN feeding and feedback caught in action in NGC613 and NGC1808 at high resolution (few pc), part of the NUclei of GAlaxies (NUGA) project. We detected trailing spirals inside the central 100 pc, efficiently driving the molecular gas into the SMBH, and molecular outflows driven by the AGN. We present preliminary results of the impact of massive winds induced by radio jets on galaxy evolution, based on observations of radio galaxies from the ALMA Radio-source Catalogue.

We investigate the ionized gas excitation and kinematics in the inner 4.3 × 6.2 kpc2 of the merger radio galaxy 4C +29.30. Using optical integral field spectroscopy with the Gemini North Telescope, we find signatures of gas outflows, including high blueshifts of up to ∼−650 km s−1 observed in a region ∼1″ south of the nucleus, which also presents high velocity dispersion (∼250 km s−1). A possible redshifted counterpart is observed north from the nucleus. We propose that these regions correspond to a bipolar outflow possibly due to the interaction of the radio jet with the ambient gas. We estimate a total ionized gas mass outflow rate of $\[{\dot M_{out}} = 18.1\begin{array}{c} + 8.2\\ - 5.3\end{array}{\kern 1pt} {\kern 1pt} \]$ with a kinetic power of $\[\dot E = 5.8\begin{array}{c} + 7.6\\ - 2.9\end{array} \times {10^{42}}{\kern 1pt} {\kern 1pt} \]$, which represents $\[3.9\begin{array}{c} + 5.1\\ - 1.5\end{array}\% \]$ of the AGN bolometric luminosity. These values are higher than usually observed in nearby active galaxies and could imply a significant impact of the outflows on the evolution of the host galaxy.

A proto-cluster core is the most massive dark matter halo (DMH) in a given proto-cluster. To reveal the galaxy formation in core regions, we search for proto-cluster cores at z ˜ 2 in ˜1.5deg2 of the COSMOS field. Using pairs of massive galaxies (log (M*/Mʘ) ≥ 11) as tracers of cores, we find 75 candidate cores. A clustering analysis and the extended Press-Schechter model show that their descendant mass at z = 0 is consistent with Fornax-like or Virgo-like clusters. Moreover, using the IllustrisTNG simulation, we confirm that pairs of massive galaxies are good tracers of DMHs massive enough to be regarded as proto-cluster cores. We then derive the stellar mass function and the quiescent fraction for member galaxies of the 75 candidate cores. We find that stellar mass assembly and quenching are accelerated as early as z ˜ 2 in proto-cluster cores.

The origin of the mysterious multiphase filamentary structures surrounding Brightest Cluster Galaxies (BCGs) remains unknown. We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations for a sample of 15 BCGs to investigate the origin and life-cycle of the gas. Those observations show clumpy and massive molecular filaments, preferentially located around the radio bubbles inflated by the active galactic nuclei (AGN). We investigate where the cold gas condenses from the intra-cluster medium, by comparing the radial extent of the filaments with predictions from numerical simulations.

Since the advent of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), more attention has been paid on the ≲100 pc scale circumnuclear disk (CND) to reveal feeding and feedback processes of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). By using cold molecular CO and atomic C0 emission line observations, we have revealed that there are multi-component gas dynamical flows around the AGN of the Circinus galaxy, which may explain the physical origin of the AGN torus. In the luminous Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469, we found that [CI](1–0) line is extraordinary bright relative to CO lines (for example J 2−1), manifesting the physical/chemical influence of the AGN on the surrounding gas in the form of X-ray dominated region (XDR).

Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are extremely low luminosity galaxies and some of them seem to have a lack of dark matter. Therefore, they can offer important clues to better understand galaxy formation and evolution. Little is known about UDGs in less dense environments, as most of the known UDGs have been found in very dense regions, in the outskirts of massive galaxies in galaxy clusters. In this work, we present the properties of UDGs candidates identified through visual inspection around the low-density environment of NGC 3115, the closest S0 galaxy from the Milky Way. We have measured the structural parameters of 41 UDGs candidates using images obtained with the Dark Energy Camera at the Blanco Telescope. Such structural parameters will be used to characterise and select the best UDG candidates, that will have their properties traced for future follow-up campaigns.

Much of the evolution of galaxies takes place in groups where feedback has the greatest impact on galaxy formation and evolution. We summarize results from studies of the central brightest group early-type galaxies (BGEs) of an optically selected, statistically complete sample of 53 nearby groups (<80 Mpc; CLoGS sample), observed in radio 235/610 MHz (GMRT), CO (IRAM/APEX) and X-ray (Chandra and XMM-Newton) frequencies. We characterize the radio-AGN population of the BGEs, their group X-ray environment and examine the jet energetics impact on the intra-group gas. We discuss the relation between the radio properties of the BGEs and their group X-ray environment along with the relation between the molecular gas content and the star formation that BGEs present. We conclude that AGN feedback in groups can appear as relatively gentle near-continuous thermal regulation, but also as extreme AGN activity which could potentially shut down cooling for longer periods.

It is generally recognized that massive galaxies form through a combination of in-situ collapse and ex-situ accretion. The in-situ component forms early, where gas collapse and compaction leads to the formation of massive compact systems (blue and red “nuggets”) seen at z > 1. The subsequent accretion of satellites brings in ex-situ material, growing these nuggets in size and mass to appear as the massive early-type galaxies (ETGs) we see locally. Due to stochasticity in the accretion process, in a few rare cases a red nugget will evolve to the present day having undergone little ex-situ mass accretion. The resulting massive, compact and ancient objects have been termed “relic galaxies”. Detailed stellar population and kinematic analyses are required to characterise these systems. However, an additional crucial aspect lies in determining the fraction of ex-situ mass they have accreted since their formation. Globular cluster systems can be used to constrain this fraction, since the oldest and most metal-poor globular clusters in massive galaxies are primarily an accreted, ex-situ population. Models for the formation of relic galaxies and their globular cluster systems suggest that, due to their early compaction and limited accretion of dark-matter dominated satellites, relic galaxies should have characteristically low dark-matter mass fractions compared to ETGs of the same stellar mass.

Gas accretion onto central supermassive black holes of active galaxies and resulting energy feedback, is an important component of galaxy evolution, whose details are still unknown especially at early cosmic epochs. We investigate BH growth and feedback in quasar-host galaxies at z ⩾ 6 by performing cosmological hydrodynamical simulations. We simulate the 2R200 region around a 2 × 1012 Mʘ halo at z = 6, inside a (500 Mpc)3 comoving volume, using the zoom-in technique. We find that BHs accrete gas at the Eddington rate over z = 9–6. At z = 6, our most-massive BH has grown to MBH = 4 × 109 Mʘ. Star-formation is quenched over z = 8–6.

We present spatially resolved kinematics of ionized gas in the narrow-line region (NLR) and extended narrow-line region (ENLR) in a sample of nearby active galaxies. Utilizing long-slit spectroscopy from Apache Point Observatory (APO)13s ARC 3.5 m Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) we analyzed the strong λ5007 Å [O III] emission line profiles and mapped the radial velocity distribution of gas at increasing radii from the center. We identified the extents of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) driven outflows in our sample and determined the distances at which the observed gas kinematics is being dominated by the rotation of the host galaxy. We also measured the effectiveness of radiative driving of the ionized gas using mass distribution profiles calculated with two-dimensional modeling of surface brightness profiles in our targets. Finally, we compared our kinematic results of the outflow sizes with the maximum distances at which the gas is being radiatively driven to investigate whether these outflows are capable of disrupting or evacuating the star-forming gas at these distances.

We use near-infrared Integral Field Unit (IFU) data to analyze the galaxies NGC 4151 and NGC 1068, which have very different Eddington ratios - ˜50 times lower for NGC 4151. Together with a detailed data cube treatment methodology, we reveal remarkable similarities between both AGN, such as the detection of the walls of an “hourglass” structure for the low-velocity [Fe ii] emission with the high-velocity emission within this hourglass; a molecular outflow - detected for the first time in NGC 4151; and the fragmentation of an expanding molecular bubble into bullets of ionized gas. Such observations suggest that NGC 4151 could represent a less powerful and more compact version of the outflow seen in NGC 1068, suggesting a universal feedback mechanism acting in quite different AGN.

We analyzed the inner 320 × 535 pc2 of the elliptical galaxy NGC 1052 with integral field spectroscopy, both in the optical and in the near-infrared (NIR). The stellar population analysis revealed a dominance of old stellar populations from the optical data, and an intermediate-age ring from NIR data. When combining optical+NIR data, optical results were favoured. The emission-line analysis revealed five kinematic components, where two of them are unresolved and probably associated with the active galactic nucleus (AGN), one is associated with large-scale shocks, one with the radio jets, and the last could be explained by either a bipolar outflow, rotation in an eccentric disc or a combination of a disc and large-scale gas bubbles. Our results also indicate that the emission within the galaxy is caused by a combination of shocks and photoionization by the AGN.