Origin of Radio Emission in Three Nearby Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies with Signatures of Luminous Buried Active Galactic Nuclei

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Main Authors: Hayashi, Takayuki J., Hagiwara, Yoshiaki, Imanishi, Masatoshi
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Hayashi, Takayuki J.
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki
Imanishi, Masatoshi
author_facet Hayashi, Takayuki J.
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki
Imanishi, Masatoshi
contents We report multifrequency Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 2.3 and 8.4GHz of three nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies, identified via mid-infrared spectroscopic analyses as hosting deeply embedded active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Milliarcsecond-scale observations at both frequencies reveal compact continuum emission in IRAS F00188$-$0856 and IRAS F01298$-$0744, accounting for $\sim10$% of the flux density measured on arcsecond scales. The non-detection in IRAS F00091$-$0738 and the lower limit on the intrinsic 8.4 GHz brightness temperature of $10^{6.1}$ K in IRAS F01298$-$0744 yield no conclusive evidence of AGN-driven radio emission, whereas the measurement of $10^{7.8}$ K in IRAS F00188$-$0856 confirms an AGN origin. Thus, the mid-infrared AGN classification remains robust, with at least one object exhibiting compact radio emission indicative of AGN activity. We further investigate the high-frequency spectral steepening observed in all three galaxies. In each case, this steepening arises from spectral aging in diffuse kpc-scale emission, which is resolved out by the VLBA observations. One possible explanation for the steepening of the sample is merger-induced particle acceleration. IRAS F00188$-$0856 exhibits a peaked radio spectrum, characteristic of a young radio source, with the high-frequency steepening attributable to this AGN activity. Consequently, the spectral steepening at high frequencies arises from particles accelerated by merger dynamics or AGN activity.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_10549
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Origin of Radio Emission in Three Nearby Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies with Signatures of Luminous Buried Active Galactic Nuclei
Hayashi, Takayuki J.
Hagiwara, Yoshiaki
Imanishi, Masatoshi
Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
We report multifrequency Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations at 2.3 and 8.4GHz of three nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies, identified via mid-infrared spectroscopic analyses as hosting deeply embedded active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Milliarcsecond-scale observations at both frequencies reveal compact continuum emission in IRAS F00188$-$0856 and IRAS F01298$-$0744, accounting for $\sim10$% of the flux density measured on arcsecond scales. The non-detection in IRAS F00091$-$0738 and the lower limit on the intrinsic 8.4 GHz brightness temperature of $10^{6.1}$ K in IRAS F01298$-$0744 yield no conclusive evidence of AGN-driven radio emission, whereas the measurement of $10^{7.8}$ K in IRAS F00188$-$0856 confirms an AGN origin. Thus, the mid-infrared AGN classification remains robust, with at least one object exhibiting compact radio emission indicative of AGN activity. We further investigate the high-frequency spectral steepening observed in all three galaxies. In each case, this steepening arises from spectral aging in diffuse kpc-scale emission, which is resolved out by the VLBA observations. One possible explanation for the steepening of the sample is merger-induced particle acceleration. IRAS F00188$-$0856 exhibits a peaked radio spectrum, characteristic of a young radio source, with the high-frequency steepening attributable to this AGN activity. Consequently, the spectral steepening at high frequencies arises from particles accelerated by merger dynamics or AGN activity.
title Origin of Radio Emission in Three Nearby Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies with Signatures of Luminous Buried Active Galactic Nuclei
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.10549