VLBI Imaging of Parsec-scale Radio Structures in Nearby Low-luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

We report the results of high-resolution 5 GHz Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network observations of 36 nearby galaxies, an extension of the Legacy e-MERLIN Multi-band Imaging of Nearby Galaxies survey. Our sample includes 21 low ionization nuclear emission regions, four Seyferts, three...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaopeng Cheng, Tao An, Willem A. Baan, Ranieri D. Baldi, David R. A. Williams-Baldwin, Bong Won Sohn, Robert Beswick, Ian M. McHardy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/adba4c
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Summary:We report the results of high-resolution 5 GHz Very Long Baseline Array and European VLBI Network observations of 36 nearby galaxies, an extension of the Legacy e-MERLIN Multi-band Imaging of Nearby Galaxies survey. Our sample includes 21 low ionization nuclear emission regions, four Seyferts, three absorption line galaxies, and eight H ii galaxies. We achieved an unprecedented detection rate, successfully imaging 23 out of 36 sources with a detection threshold of ∼20 μ Jy beam ^−1 . The radio sizes are typically of ≤5 pc. Core identification was achieved in 16 sources, while seven others were identified as core candidates. Radio luminosities of the sample range from 10 ^34 to 10 ^38 erg s ^−1 . Our analysis reveals a predominance of compact core structures, with 10 sources exhibiting a one-sided core jet morphology and NGC 2146 exhibiting a rare two-sided jet structure. The study advances our understanding of the compactness of radio sources at various scales, indicating a core-dominated nature in all but one galaxy, NGC 2655. We find moderate to strong correlations between radio luminosity, black hole (BH) mass, optical [O iii ] line luminosity, and hard X-ray luminosity, suggesting a common active galactic nucleus (AGN) core origin. These results provide new insights into the fundamental plane of BH activity and support the role of the synchrotron process in low-luminosity AGN radio emission.
ISSN:0067-0049