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Black Hole

Lensing of space time around a black hole. At Oxford we study black holes observationally and theoretically on all size and time scales - it is some of our core work.

Credit: ALAIN RIAZUELO, IAP/UPMC/CNRS. CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE IMAGES.

Prof. Dimitra Rigopoulou

Professor of Astrophysics

Research theme

  • Astronomy and astrophysics

Sub department

  • Astrophysics

Research groups

  • Galaxy formation and evolution
Dimitra.Rigopoulou@physics.ox.ac.uk
Telephone: 01865 (2)73296
Denys Wilkinson Building, room 711
  • About
  • Research
  • Publications

Decoupling the AGN outflow and star-forming disk kinematics in the nuclear region of NGC 7582 with JWST NIRSpec and MIRI/MRS

(2026)

Authors:

Oscar Veenema, Niranjan Thatte, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Ismael García-Bernete, Almudena Alonso-Herrero, Miguel Pereira-Santaella, Anelise Audibert, Enrica Bellocchi, Andrew J Bunker, Steph Campbell, Francoise Combes, Ric I Davies, Fergus R Donnan, Santiago García-Burillo, Omaira Gonzalez Martin, Laura Hermosa Muñoz, Erin KS Hicks, Sebastian F Hoenig, Alvaro Labiano, Nancy A Levenson, Chris Packham, Cristina Ramos Almeida, Claudio Ricci, Rogemar A Riffel, David Rosario, Taro Shimizu, Lulu Zhang

Decoupling the AGN outflow and star-forming disc kinematics in the nuclear region of NGC 7582 with JWST NIRSpec and MIRI/MRS

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 548:4 (2026) stag785

Authors:

Oscar Veenema, Niranjan Thatte, Dimitra Rigopoulou, Ismael García-Bernete, Almudena Alonso-Herrero, Miguel Pereira-Santaella, Anelise Audibert, Enrica Bellocchi, Andrew J Bunker, Steph Campbell, Francoise Combes, Richard I Davies, Fergus R Donnan, Santiago García-Burillo, Omaira Gonzalez Martin, Laura Hermosa Muñoz, Erin KS Hicks, Sebastian F Hoenig, Alvaro Labiano, Nancy A Levenson, Chris Packham, Cristina Ramos Almeida, Claudio Ricci, Rogemar A Riffel, David Rosario

Abstract:

We present a detailed study of the inner regions of NGC 7582, a nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy, from the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). The galaxy hosts a circumnuclear star-forming disc and an active galactic nucleus (AGN)-driven biconical ionized outflow. Using James Webb Space Telescope Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument/Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI/MRS) integral-field spectroscopy, we analyse ionic emission lines spanning a wide range of ionization potentials (IPs, –126 eV). Gaussian line-profile fitting reveals kinematic stratification: low-IP species ( eV; e.g. [Fe ii], [Ar ii], and [Ne ii]) trace ordered disc rotation with PA , while high-IP species ( eV; e.g. [O iv], [Mg iv], and [Ne v]) follow the outflow with PA . Outflowing gas exhibits systematically higher velocity dispersions ( km s−1) than the disc ( km s−1), consistent with turbulent or bulk motions. Intermediate-IP lines, [S iii], [Ar iii], and [Ne iii], show contributions from both components, with the outflow characterized by higher dispersion, lower amplitude, and higher velocities in double-Gaussian fits. For these lines, a thin inclined disc plus 1D outflow model enables robust separation and quantification of the disc and outflow velocity fields. The outflow is consistent with a hollow bicone capable of accelerating gas beyond the local escape velocity, implying most material is unlikely to be re-accreted. The ionization cone opening angle shows no dependence on IP, indicating the AGN torus polar regions are largely unobscured. Our study provides new insights into AGN-driven outflows and circumnuclear disc dynamics, offering a framework to disentangle overlapping interstellar medium kinematics in nearby active galaxies.

The Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS). XIII. Coupling Driven H 2 Excitation in Seyferts

The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society 1002:1 (2026) 20

Authors:

Daniel E Delaney, Erin KS Hicks, Lulu Zhang, Ric Davies, Chris Packham, Rogemar A Riffel, Miguel Pereira Santaella, Enrica Bellocchi, Nancy A Levenson, Steph Campbell, David J Rosario, Houda Haidar, Cristina Ramos Almeida, Anelise Audibert, Claudio Ricci, Laura Hermosa Muñoz, Francoise Combes, Almudena Alonso-Herrero, Santiago García-Burillo, Federico Esposito, Ismael García-Bernete, Taro Shimizu, Martin Ward, Omaira González-Martín, Alvaro Labiano, Oscar Veenema, Dimitra Rigopoulou

Abstract:

We utilize James Webb Space Telescope/Mid Infrared Instrument (JWST/MIRI) Integral Field Unit observations from the Galaxy Activity, Torus and Outflow Survey to investigate the diverse range of ionized outflow rates of obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) with similar bolometric luminosity and explore potential associations with AGN feedback. We explore spatial correlations between ionized emission potentially associated with fast shocks ([Fe II]5.34μm) and the excitation of H2. We further constrain our investigation to the inner 400 pc (the nuclear and circumnuclear regions r < 200 pc), and estimate the excitation temperature and column density of H2 assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and using the S(1)–S(8) rotational H2 emission lines visible to JWST/MIRI spectroscopy. We report the molecular gas temperature of the deprojected 400 pc nuclear region to correlate with the ionized mass outflow rate. We also observe a stronger degree of spatial correlation between [Fe II]5.34μm emission and H2 gas temperature. We observe regions of enhanced [Fe II]5.34μm/[Ar II]6.99μm spatially coincident with the ionization cones of objects with higher ionized outflow rates and [Fe II]5.34μm/[Ar II]6.99μm in the deprojected 400 pc nuclear region to scale positively with both the ionized outflow rate and the estimated molecular gas temperature. We do not observe the estimated jet cavity power within the central 400 pc as strongly correlated with the ionized mass outflow rate or molecular gas temperature of the nuclear region. We take the preceding observations to suggest a higher degree of interaction between AGN outflows and the circumnuclear disk.

Extended coronal line emission and new clues to a possible dual AGN in the merger J1356+1026

(2026)

Authors:

M Bianchin, C Ramos Almeida, O González-Martín, MV Zanchettin, M Carneiro, M Pereira-Santaella, C Tadhunter, G Speranza, I García-Bernete, A Audibert, A Alonso-Herrero, D Rigopoulou, A Labiano, JA Acosta-Pulido, S García-Burillo

Star Formation Beyond the Optical Disk : The Low-Density Outskirts of NGC2090

(2026)

Authors:

Jyoti Yadav, Mousumi Das, S Amrutha, Dimitra Rigopoulou

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