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Autori principali: Moghni, Arian, Roy, Namrata, Heckman, Timothy M., Bundy, Kevin, Westfall, Kyle B., Rubin, Kate H. R.
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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Accesso online:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13195
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author Moghni, Arian
Roy, Namrata
Heckman, Timothy M.
Bundy, Kevin
Westfall, Kyle B.
Rubin, Kate H. R.
author_facet Moghni, Arian
Roy, Namrata
Heckman, Timothy M.
Bundy, Kevin
Westfall, Kyle B.
Rubin, Kate H. R.
contents Red geysers are a population of massive (log[M/M$_\odot$]~10.5), quiescent galaxies that exhibit large-scale but weak, bi-symmetric ionized gas outflows, interpreted as signatures of ongoing, low-level active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We investigate the kinematics and prevalence of cool (T~100-1000K), neutral gas traced by Na I D absorption, and its connection to galaxy environment and AGN activity. Using 140 red geyser galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA), we measure spatially resolved velocities and dispersions via double-Gaussian fits to the Na I D doublet. We find that ~70% of the cool gas is inflowing, with a median velocity of ~47 km/s (~10% of the expected free-fall speed), and also exhibits kinematically ordered motions with $σ_{NaD}$/${σ_*}$~0.4. Additionally, the Na I D absorption is more prevalent in red geysers than in a matched control sample, showing a higher detection fraction (63% vs 40%) and reservoir areas ~1.6 times larger. Acceleration (~1 Myr) and accretion (~20 Myr) timescales indicate that the absorbing clouds are likely young and short-lived. Another intriguing result is that radio-detected red geysers (30% of the sample) show inflowing gas reservoirs ~7 times larger than in non-radio systems. Similarly, galaxies subject to environmental effects host inflowing gas reservoirs ~2.7 times larger than isolated red geysers. We take this as evidence that galaxy interactions play a key role in replenishing the cool gas reservoirs of red geysers, fueling central AGN activity, sustaining radio emission, and regulating long-term quiescence. These findings reveal that quiescent systems are governed by cycles of inflow, feedback, and regulation.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_13195
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Galactic Rain: Cool Gas Inflows in Red Geyser Galaxies and Their Connection to AGN Activity and Interactions
Moghni, Arian
Roy, Namrata
Heckman, Timothy M.
Bundy, Kevin
Westfall, Kyle B.
Rubin, Kate H. R.
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Red geysers are a population of massive (log[M/M$_\odot$]~10.5), quiescent galaxies that exhibit large-scale but weak, bi-symmetric ionized gas outflows, interpreted as signatures of ongoing, low-level active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We investigate the kinematics and prevalence of cool (T~100-1000K), neutral gas traced by Na I D absorption, and its connection to galaxy environment and AGN activity. Using 140 red geyser galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-IV Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA), we measure spatially resolved velocities and dispersions via double-Gaussian fits to the Na I D doublet. We find that ~70% of the cool gas is inflowing, with a median velocity of ~47 km/s (~10% of the expected free-fall speed), and also exhibits kinematically ordered motions with $σ_{NaD}$/${σ_*}$~0.4. Additionally, the Na I D absorption is more prevalent in red geysers than in a matched control sample, showing a higher detection fraction (63% vs 40%) and reservoir areas ~1.6 times larger. Acceleration (~1 Myr) and accretion (~20 Myr) timescales indicate that the absorbing clouds are likely young and short-lived. Another intriguing result is that radio-detected red geysers (30% of the sample) show inflowing gas reservoirs ~7 times larger than in non-radio systems. Similarly, galaxies subject to environmental effects host inflowing gas reservoirs ~2.7 times larger than isolated red geysers. We take this as evidence that galaxy interactions play a key role in replenishing the cool gas reservoirs of red geysers, fueling central AGN activity, sustaining radio emission, and regulating long-term quiescence. These findings reveal that quiescent systems are governed by cycles of inflow, feedback, and regulation.
title Galactic Rain: Cool Gas Inflows in Red Geyser Galaxies and Their Connection to AGN Activity and Interactions
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.13195