dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe Quasar Feedback Survey: Revealing the importance of sensitive radio imaging for AGN identification deeper into the radio-quiet regime
| Authors | Ann Njeri, Chris M. Harrison, Preeti Kharb, David M. Alexander, Vincenzo Mainieri, Chiara Circosta, Victoria A. Fawcett, Darshan Kakkad, Dipanjan Mukherjee, Stephen Molyneux, Silpa Sasikumar |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | 2601.09218vv1 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.09218 |
| License | http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/ |
Abstract
We present new sub-arcsecond ($\sim$0.3-1 arcsec; $\sim$1--3\,kpc) VLA imaging at 1.4\,GHz and 6\,GHz of 29 optically-selected, [O~{\sc iii}] luminous ($L_{\rm [O III]}$ > 10$^{42.1}$\,erg\,s$^{-1}$), $z<0.2$ quasars drawn from the expanded Quasar Feedback Survey (QFeedS; with $L_\mathrm{1.4\,GHz} = 10^{22.6}$--10$^{26.3}$\,W\,Hz$^{-1}$). These 29 new objects occupy the low end of the radio-power distribution ($L_\mathrm{1.4\,GHz}$=$10^{22.63}$--10$^{23.45}$\,W\,Hz$^{-1}$) in the QFeedS sample and are nominally `radio quiet'. Despite this, we find widespread evidence of AGN-driven synchrotron activity. Nearly $\sim 31\,$per\,cent exhibit resolved radio structures on $\sim$0.1--20\,kpc scales consistent with compact jets or wind-driven outflows, and $\sim 90\,$per\,cent display steep spectra ($\alpha \lesssim -1$) indicative of optically thin synchrotron emission. Combining morphology, spectral index and brightness-temperature diagnostics, at least $\sim38\,$per\,cent of the sample show clear AGN signatures that cannot be explained by star formation alone. These constitute the first results from the expanded QFeedS (now 71 quasars spanning $\approx 4$ dex in radio power) and demonstrate that compact, low-power jets and AGN shocks are common deep inside the radio-quiet regime. A thorough understanding of feedback processes from quasars, deep into the `radio-quiet' regime, will be obtained by connecting these high resolution radio observations with multi-wavelength observations.
{
"annotation_id": "ecdc7fc0-0217-4341-9e07-bcaa308a24f7",
"date_created": "2026-02-17T05:53:20.068000Z",
"date_modified": "2026-02-17T05:53:20.068000Z",
"file_hash": "afe0b7a1c1279989de090828ce5470881f545189370aac87c3a43c75bd70a29e",
"private": false,
"record": {
"abstract": "We present new sub-arcsecond ($\\sim$0.3-1 arcsec; $\\sim$1--3\\,kpc) VLA imaging at 1.4\\,GHz and 6\\,GHz of 29 optically-selected, [O~{\\sc iii}] luminous ($L_{\\rm [O III]}$ \u003e 10$^{42.1}$\\,erg\\,s$^{-1}$), $z\u003c0.2$ quasars drawn from the expanded Quasar Feedback Survey (QFeedS; with $L_\\mathrm{1.4\\,GHz} = 10^{22.6}$--10$^{26.3}$\\,W\\,Hz$^{-1}$). These 29 new objects occupy the low end of the radio-power distribution ($L_\\mathrm{1.4\\,GHz}$=$10^{22.63}$--10$^{23.45}$\\,W\\,Hz$^{-1}$) in the QFeedS sample and are nominally `radio quiet\u0027. Despite this, we find widespread evidence of AGN-driven synchrotron activity. Nearly $\\sim 31\\,$per\\,cent exhibit resolved radio structures on $\\sim$0.1--20\\,kpc scales consistent with compact jets or wind-driven outflows, and $\\sim 90\\,$per\\,cent display steep spectra ($\\alpha \\lesssim -1$) indicative of optically thin synchrotron emission. Combining morphology, spectral index and brightness-temperature diagnostics, at least $\\sim38\\,$per\\,cent of the sample show clear AGN signatures that cannot be explained by star formation alone. These constitute the first results from the expanded QFeedS (now 71 quasars spanning $\\approx 4$ dex in radio power) and demonstrate that compact, low-power jets and AGN shocks are common deep inside the radio-quiet regime. A thorough understanding of feedback processes from quasars, deep into the `radio-quiet\u0027 regime, will be obtained by connecting these high resolution radio observations with multi-wavelength observations.",
"arxiv_id": "2601.09218",
"authors": [
"Ann Njeri",
"Chris M. Harrison",
"Preeti Kharb",
"David M. Alexander",
"Vincenzo Mainieri",
"Chiara Circosta",
"Victoria A. Fawcett",
"Darshan Kakkad",
"Dipanjan Mukherjee",
"Stephen Molyneux",
"Silpa Sasikumar"
],
"categories": [
"astro-ph.GA"
],
"license": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
"title": "The Quasar Feedback Survey: Revealing the importance of sensitive radio imaging for AGN identification deeper into the radio-quiet regime",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.09218",
"version": "v1"
},
"schema_id": "dorsal/arxiv",
"source": {
"execution_id": "ce4eda9f-c4f7-411a-aab4-ecb47c2f06aa",
"id": "arXiv Dataset",
"type": "Model",
"variant": "snapshot-2026-01-17",
"version": "0.1.0"
},
"user_id": 1000002
}