The Central PARSEC of Galaxies using High Spatial Resolution Techniques

Start year
2003

Grants related:

    General
    Description

    PARSEC is a multi-wavelength investigation of the central PARSEC of the nearest galaxies. We work on black-hole accretion and its most energetic manifestations: jets and hot spots, and on its  circumnuclear environment conditions for star formation. We resort to the highest available angular resolution observations from gamma-rays to the centimetre, and pursue a physical interpretation in the context of computational astrophysics. We also work on  development of Adaptive Optics instrumentation for large telescopes. PARSEC projects are:

    PARSEC - Black-Hole activity: The galaxies under study span a wide range of nuclear activity, from quiesent to low luminosity active nuclei to the Seyfert and Qso phase. PARSEC investigates the origin and morphology of dust and gas in the central parsec of active and normal galaxies, those being the pre-conditions for the onset of Black-Hole activity. The spectral energy distribution of the central few parsecs is investigated as a function of nuclear activity and accretion disc efficency. The nature and shape of the ionizing continuum are traced with high ionization coronal lines. 

    PARSEC - Jets and Hot-Spots: PARSEC further studies the most energetic manisfestations of Black-Hole activity: jets and hot-spots, in the PAIS project.

    PARSEC -Star-formation: Nuclear star formation spatially resolved at cluster level is uncovered in many of these near galaxies. PARSEC investigates the properties of nuclear dust filaments, lanes and molecular clouds as pre-sites for star formation.

    PARSEC - Theory: A physical insight of many of the PARSEC results is done via close collaboration with the Computational Astrophysics group, CAST, of the Munchen University Sternwarte, using numerical and magnetic-hydrodynamic simulations developped by this group.

    PARSEC - Instrumentation: PARSEC is also involved in the definition, development and construction of Adaptive Optics instrumentation for 8 -10 m telescopes. PARSEC instrumentation team is building the first Adpative Optics Integral Field Spectrograph and Imaging Camera, FRIDA, for GTC 10 m teelcope. 

    PARSEC - Outreach: PARSEC is involved in the science and outreach "Vanishing and Appearing Sources during a Century of Observations (VASCO)" project. VASCO searches for vanishing stars, unusual astrophysical transients and extra-terrestrial intelligence. As such, it is a platform for interacting with the general public. VASCO has strong visibility in the media outets via its associated citizen science project. 

    Principal investigator

    Related publications

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      Black-hole-driven outflows in galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN) may interact with their interstellar medium (ISM) affecting star formation (SF). Such feedback processes, reminiscent of those seen in massive galaxies, have been reported recently in some dwarf galaxies. However, such studies have usually been on kiloparsec and larger
      Nandi, Payel et al.

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      12
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    • Identification of Superclusters and Their Properties in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Using the WHL Cluster Catalog
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      11
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    • A giant radio galaxy with three cycles of episodic jet activity from LoTSS DR2
      The excellent sensitivity and optimum resolution of LoTSS DR2 at 144 MHz has enabled us to discover a giant radio galaxy (J1225+4011) with three distinct episodes of jet activity, making it a member of a class of objects called triple-double radio galaxies (TDRGs). The source extends overall up to 1.35 Mpc in projected size, with the second episode
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      10
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    • The Accretion Mode in Sub-Eddington Supermassive Black Holes: Getting into the Central Parsecs of Andromeda
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      8
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    • The spectral index-flux density relation for extragalactic radio sources selected at metre and decametre wavelengths
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      7
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    • Compact jets dominate the continuum emission in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei
      Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN) are special among their kind due to the profound structural changes that the central engine experiences at low accretion rates (≲ 10 −3 in Eddington units). The disappearance of the accretion disc - the blue bump - leaves behind a faint optical nuclear continuum whose nature has been largely debated
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      2
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    • Toward measuring supermassive black hole masses with interferometric observations of the dust continuum
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      1
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    • Launching the VASCO Citizen Science Project
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      12
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    • A novel black hole mass scaling relation based on coronal gas, and its dependence with the accretion disc
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      2
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    • A geometric distance to the supermassive black Hole of NGC 3783
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      10
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    • The nuclear stellar disc of the Milky Way: A dynamically cool and metal-rich component possibly formed from the central molecular zone
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      6
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    • Dust in the central parsecs of unobscured AGN: more challenges to the torus
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      9
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    • A KMOS survey of the nuclear disk of the Milky Way. I. Survey design and metallicities
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      5
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    • Raining in MKW 3 s: A Chandra-MUSE Analysis of X-Ray Cold Filaments around 3CR 318.1
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      Advertised on:

      5
      2021
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      4
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    • Extended X-Ray Emission around FR II Radio Galaxies: Hot Spots, Lobes, and Galaxy Clusters
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      2
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    • Coronal-line forest active galactic nuclei - I. Physical properties of the emission-line regions
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      Cerqueira-Campos, F. C. et al.

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      1
      2021
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    • The spatially resolved broad line region of IRAS 09149-6206
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      Gravity Collaboration et al.

      Advertised on:

      11
      2020
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    • Completing the 3CR Chandra Snapshot Survey: Extragalactic Radio Sources at High Redshift
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      Jimenez-Gallardo, A. et al.

      Advertised on:

      9
      2020
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      16

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