# Do Jet-Driven Shocks ionize the Narrow Line Regions of Seyfert Galaxies?

## 1 Introduction

The gas in the narrow line regions (NLRs) of Seyfert galaxies is known to be photoionized (e.g. Koski 1978; Ferland & Osterbrock 1986; Osterbrock 1989) and the prevailing view is that the ionizing photons originate in a compact source, perhaps the accretion disk. However, strong associations between the narrow emission-line and radio continuum properties of Seyfert nuclei have been found over the last 20 years. There are strong correlations between radio power and both line luminosity (de Bruyn & Wilson 1978) and line width (Wilson & Willis 1980). Early VLA maps showed that the radio sources represent collimated ejection from the compact nucleus and that they have similar spatial scales and orientations to the NLR. These results led Wilson & Willis (1980) to suggest that the nucleus ejects radio components which interact with ambient gas and replenish the high kinetic energy and ionization of the NLR. Simple models of the momentum transfer between jets and ambient gas (Blandford & Königl 1979) show that ambient gas with the observationally-inferred NLR mass can be accelerated to the observed velocities ($``$ 10<sup>3</sup> km s<sup>-1</sup>) in the gas crossing time of the NLR ($``$ 10<sup>5-6</sup> yrs) for reasonable efficiency factors relating jet and radio powers (Wilson 1981, 1982). Subsequent imaging (e.g. Haniff et al. 1988; Bower et al. 1995; Capetti et al. 1995; Falcke, Wilson & Simpson 1998) and spectroscopic (Whittle et al. 1988; Axon et al. 1998) observations have confirmed that the structure of the NLR in many Seyferts is dominated by compression of interstellar gas by the radio ejecta and that these ejecta are an important source of “stirring” of the gas. Theoretical descriptions of this interaction have involved expanding radio lobes (Pedlar, Dyson & Unger 1985), bow shocks driven by the radio jets (Taylor, Dyson & Axon 1992; Ferruit et al. 1997) and the role of the jet cocoon (Steffen et al. 1997).

The power required to accelerate the gas is typically $``$ 10<sup>41-42</sup> erg s<sup>-1</sup> over $``$ 10<sup>5-6</sup> yrs to give the $``$ 10<sup>53-55</sup> erg of kinetic energy present in the observed clouds of the NLR (more kinetic energy could be present in gas too tenuous to be visible in line emission). The power radiated in observed line emission is somewhat higher at $``$ 10<sup>41-44</sup> erg s<sup>-1</sup>, which is $``$ 10<sup>2-4</sup> times higher than the radio luminosity (e.g. Fig. 1 of Wilson, Ward & Haniff 1988). Recently, Bicknell et al. (1998) have argued that the narrow line emission in Seyfert galaxies is, indeed, powered entirely by the radio-emitting jets. The jets are considered to drive several hundred to a thousand km s<sup>-1</sup> radiative shocks into interstellar gas on the hundred pc scale. Such “photoionizing shocks” are powerful sources of ionizing radiation and create photoionized precursors (Daltabuit & Cox 1972), the optical spectra of which are similar to Seyfert galaxy NLRs (Dopita & Sutherland 1995, 1996 \[hereafter DSI\]; Morse, Raymond & Wilson 1996). In this picture, the conversion of jet kinetic energy to radio emission is much less efficient in Seyfert galaxies than in radio galaxies and radio-loud quasars; the Seyfert jets are thermally dominated while jets in radio-loud AGN may be dominated by relativistic particles and magnetic fields.

It is very important to decide whether the energy source that powers the NLR is “in situ” mechanical motion (jets) or the more conventional compact photoionizing source. This issue is closely related to the fundamental question of whether the putative accretion disk loses energy primarily in mechanical (as jets or winds) or radiative form.

Shock velocities of 300 - 1,000 km s<sup>-1</sup>, required to account for the emission-line spectra of Seyferts (Dopita & Sutherland 1995), generate gas of temperature 10<sup>6-7</sup>K and copious soft X-rays (cf. Laor 1998). This production of soft X-rays by the NLR is an inevitable prediction of the photoionizing shock model and can be used to distinguish it from photoionization by a hidden Seyfert 1 nucleus. Indeed, soft X-ray emission from the NLR has been isolated in NGC 1068 (Wilson et al. 1992), NGC 2110 (Weaver et al. 1995) and NGC 4151 (Morse et al. 1995). For type 2 Seyfert galaxies, in general, the observed Einstein IPC soft X-ray flux (from the entire galaxy) and the \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 flux (from the NLR) are similar (Fig. 1). This similarity is not inconsistent with photoionizing shocks being the power source, since $``$ 4% (20%) of the kinetic power of a 300 (500) km s<sup>-1</sup> radiative shock is radiated in the Einstein band (0.2 – 4 keV), while $``$ 2% is radiated as \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 (DSI; Bicknell, Dopita & O’Dea 1997, hereafter BDO), and the expected X-ray spectrum is soft and photoelectric absorption can substantially reduce the observed flux. In this letter, we examine the relationship between soft X-ray and \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 emission expected in the photoionizing shock model, and compare it with Einstein and ROSAT X-ray observations. We also argue that the shocks should produce strong coronal iron line emission, and compare the predicted and observed strengths.

## 2 Comparison of \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 and Soft X-ray Fluxes

### 2.1 Method

The calculations of DSI provide the luminosity radiated in the \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 line per unit area of shock from both the post-shock gas and the photoionized precursor as a function of shock velocity and magnetic parameter. The pre-shock density is taken to be low enough that collisional deexcitation is unimportant. We have used the model-predicted \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 luminosities from DSI (with the fluxes reduced by a factor of 2, as we suspect they may be too high by this factor based on comparison with the models discussed below and an apparent factor of 2 error in equation 3.3 of DSI) and BDO. For the post-shock gas, the \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 luminosity was taken to be the average of the predictions for the four magnetic parameters considered by DSI. The exact value of the magnetic parameter is not critical because for shock velocities above $``$ 200 km s<sup>-1</sup>, the \[OIII\] emission of the precursor dominates that of the post-shock gas. The \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 luminosity would be less than predicted if any of the following effects are important: a) the precursor is density bounded or the pre-shock gas presents a covering factor of $`<`$ 1; b) the post-shock gas cools in an unstable fashion, so that the fragmented gas does not intercept all of the ionizing flux (e.g. Innes, Giddings & Falle 1987a, b); or c) the pre-shock density is sufficiently high that the $`{}_{}{}^{1}D_{2}^{}`$ level of OIII suffers collisional deexcitation. Of these, effect b) is unlikely to affect our results significantly in view of the small contribution of the post-shock gas to \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 for the shock velocities of interest. Since the collisional deexcitation density of the $`{}_{}{}^{1}D_{2}^{}`$ level is 7.0 $`\times `$ 10<sup>5</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> (Osterbrock 1989), it is very unlikely that effect c) applies to the precursor gas, though post-shock gas could be collisionally deexcited in the inner, denser parts of the NLR. The possibility that effect a) is significant means that the predicted \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 luminosities are most conservatively treated as upper limits.

We have also calculated the luminosity of the radiation emitted from the post-shock gas in the bands of the ROSAT PSPC (0.1 - 2.4 keV) and Einstein IPC (0.2 - 4 keV) detectors using an updated version of the radiative shock wave code described in Raymond (1979). The atomic rates are basically the same as those of the current version of the Raymond & Smith (1977) X-ray code used for the X-ray spectrum predictions in DSI. The shock code includes time-dependent ionization and photoionization, but these have little effect on broad-band X-ray count rates. To obtain the total emission (over 4$`\pi `$ sterad), we multiplied the X-ray flux radiated upstream by a factor of 2. This factor may be too large for soft photons because of photoelectric absorption by the downstream gas. The predicted ratio, R, of X-ray count rate to \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 flux can then be obtained as a function of shock velocity and effective hydrogen column density. The code also predicts the intensities of the \[Fe X\] and \[Fe XIV\] lines discussed below, including excitation by electron and proton impact, and by cascades following LS permitted excitations.

### 2.2 Results

Figs 1 and 2 show the Einstein IPC and ROSAT PSPC count rates against the \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 flux. The dashed lines in each panel are loci of constant R obtained from the model as described above after attenuation by an equivalent hydrogen column of N<sub>H</sub> = 10<sup>20.5</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, which is the average Galactic column density towards the Seyfert 2 galaxies plotted in the figures (see below). The \[OIII\] fluxes have been reduced by 0.2 mag, which is the expected obscuration for a normal gas to dust ratio. The solid lines are the same but with the model X-ray fluxes attenuated by N<sub>H</sub> = 10<sup>21.5</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, which is the column density corresponding to the average obscuration (A<sub>V</sub> = 1.8 mag, derived from the Balmer decrement assuming intrinsic case B recombination values) of the NLRs, assuming a normal gas to dust ratio. The (narrow) hydrogen lines in Seyfert 2s come from a similar region to \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007, so the model-predicted \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 fluxes have been reduced by 1.12 $`\times `$ A<sub>V</sub> = 2.0 mag. Because the model \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 fluxes may be overestimates, as discussed above, the predicted values of R are best treated as lower limits, so the predicted locations in Figs 1 and 2 for a given shock velocity lie to the upper left of the plotted line.

Also plotted in Figs 1 and 2 are observed X-ray count rates and \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 fluxes for type 2 Seyfert galaxies. Type 1 Seyferts and the so-called “narrow line X-ray galaxies” have been omitted (with the exception of NGC 2110, see figure captions) because the equivalent hydrogen columns to their compact nuclei are sufficiently low that the soft X-ray emission is dominated by the Seyfert 1 nucleus. The equivalent hydrogen column towards the “hidden” Seyfert 1 nuclei in Seyfert 2 galaxies averages $``$ 3 $`\times `$ 10<sup>23</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup> (Turner et al. 1997), so the compact source is heavily attenuated in the Einstein and ROSAT bands. At the spatial resolution of the IPC and PSPC detectors, the measured X-ray count rate generally includes the entire host galaxy, the NLR and any residual transmitted or scattered emission from the compact nucleus. Thus these observed X-ray fluxes represent firm upper limits to the X-ray flux from the NLR. The \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 emission, on the other hand, was measured through a small aperture and is a good measure of the NLR line emission. Thus the plotted data represent upper limits to the actual value of R in the NLR.

Also plotted in Fig. 2 is a point representing the total PSPC count rate (after absorption) and \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 flux density (after obscuration) for a 3<sup>′′</sup> (0.7 pc) length along the shock front of the LMC supernova remnant N132D (Morse et al. 1996). The plotted PSPC X-ray count rate was obtained by integrating the curve of 0.1 - 2 keV flux density (obtained from the ROSAT HRI image and corrected for absorption) versus distance perpendicular to the shock given in Fig. 11 of Morse et al. (1996). The predicted absorbed PSPC flux density was then found using the spectral model of Hwang et al. (1993) and the equivalent hydrogen column of N<sub>H</sub> = 6.2 $`\times `$ 10<sup>20</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, which is within a factor of 2 of the column used for the models represented by the dashed lines. The curve of \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 flux density versus distance perpendicular to the shock, also given in Fig. 11 of Morse et al. (1996), was similarly integrated and was reduced by an obscuration A<sub>V</sub> = 0.34 mag (equivalent to N<sub>H</sub> = 6.2 $`\times `$ 10<sup>20</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup> for a normal gas to dust ratio). Fig. 2 shows that the resulting value of R for N132D is about 50 times higher than the average of the Seyfert galaxy points. Morse et al. (1996) argue convincingly that the X-ray and \[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007 emissions from this region of N132D originate from a photoionizing shock of velocity 790 km s<sup>-1</sup>, with some contribution to the ionizing flux from lower velocity shocks. The absorption-corrected ratio F(0.1 - 2 keV)/F(\[OIII\]$`\lambda `$5007) for this 0.7 pc length of shock is $``$ 45, with an uncertainty of about 25%.

Examination of Figs 1 and 2 shows that the model generally overpredicts the observed R values (i.e. the predicted X-ray flux is too high) for high shock velocities (500 - 1,000 km s<sup>-1</sup>) when only the Galactic column (N<sub>H</sub> = 10<sup>20.5</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>) is included. For this column density, a shock velocity of $``$ 300 km s<sup>-1</sup> better describes the observed R values.

For N<sub>H</sub> = 10<sup>21.5</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, the model of a 500 km s<sup>-1</sup> shock is comparable to most observed detections and upper limits, while the X-ray emission of a 300 km s<sup>-1</sup> shock is $``$ 2 orders of magnitude (the exact number being very sensitive to N<sub>H</sub>) below the observed data points. If most of the observed soft X-ray emission originates in the NLR and the hydrogen column is similar to that inferred towards the optical (narrow) line emission, a photoionizing shock model with shock velocity $``$ 400 – 500 km s<sup>-1</sup> is compatible with the observations. On the other hand, if the X-ray flux from the NLR is actually substantially lower than the observed total emission from the galaxy, a lower value of the shock velocity would be indicated or a classical photoionization model favored. Future high spatial resolution, medium spectral resolution observations with the ACIS on AXAF will spatially resolve the X-ray emission of the NLR in nearby Seyferts, and thus separate it from both the galaxy disk and the compact nucleus. These measurements will also allow the gas temperature and N<sub>H</sub> to be determined, providing a much more precise check of the model.

## 3 Coronal Iron Line Emission

As emphasised by DSI, the post-shock gas should display a rich collisionally ionized UV spectrum. However, these lines are very sensitive to reddening. Another prediction of fast shock models is strong emission in the coronal forbidden lines of iron, such as \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374 and \[Fe XIV\]$`\lambda `$5303. These lines are expected whenever the shocked gas is hot enough to collisionally ionize Fe to these species. Table 1 shows both absolute fluxes and fluxes relative to H$`\beta `$ in these two lines. The H$`\beta `$ emission (H$`\beta _S`$) is that from only the post-shock gas - emission from the precursor is not included in the listed ratio. The range of shock velocities consistent with both the optical line ratios observed in Seyferts (Dopita & Sutherland 1995) and the soft X-ray observations (Section 2) is 300 - 500 km s<sup>-1</sup>. For such shock velocities, the ratio of total H$`\beta `$ flux (H$`\beta _T`$ \- shock plus precursor) to shock-only flux (H$`\beta _S`$) is 2.1 - 2.2 (DSI, tables 8 and 10). Thus the predicted \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374/H$`\beta _T`$ ratios are in the range 0.1 - 0.19, excluding any \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374 from the photoionized precursor. The observed, reddening-corrected \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374/H$`\beta `$ ratios in Seyfert 2s are in the range $`<`$ 0.014 - 0.16 (Koski 1978; Penston et al. 1984), with most galaxies in the range $`<`$ 0.014 - 0.06. The strongest \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374 emitters are consistent with a 300 - 500 km s<sup>-1</sup> shock model, but most galaxies show an \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374/H$`\beta `$ ratio which is a factor of 2 - 14 lower than the predictions. A similar conclusion comes from the general lack of detection of \[Fe XIV\]$`\lambda `$5303 in Seyfert galaxies. Of course, a contribution from lower velocity ($`<`$ 300 km s<sup>-1</sup>) shocks would enhance the H$`\beta `$ flux without significantly increasing \[Fe X\]$`\lambda `$6374 or \[Fe XIV\]$`\lambda `$5303 and thus reduce the predicted ratio. However, the optical emission line spectrum would then be of low excitation and would not match a Seyfert NLR spectrum. Thus the weakness of the iron coronal lines may favor a conventional photoionization model over the shock model. Depletion of iron onto grains would reduce the coronal line fluxes, but it would decrease the X-ray emissivity as well, and much of the iron is liberated by the time radiative cooling sets in (Vancura et al. 1994). Thus the \[Fe X\]/H$`\beta `$ ratios would be reduced by a modest amount in models with grains.

This research was supported by NASA through grants NAG 53393 and NAG 81027, and by NSF through grant AST9527289. We are grateful to P. Ferruit, J. A. Morse and N. Nagar for help and advice.