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Cosmological simulations fail to reproduce realistic galaxy populations without energy injection from active galactic nuclei (AGN) into the interstellar medium (ISM) and circumgalactic medium (CGM); a process called 'AGN feedback'. Consequently, observational work searches for evidence that luminous AGN impact their host galaxies. Here, we review some of this work. Multi-phase AGN outflows are common, some with potential for significant impact. Additionally, multiple feedback channels can be observed simultaneously; e.g., radio jets from 'radio quiet' quasars can inject turbulence on ISM scales, and displace CGM-scale molecular gas. However, caution must be taken comparing outflows to simulations (e.g., kinetic coupling efficiencies) to infer feedback potential, due to a lack of comparable predictions. Furthermore, some work claims limited evidence for feedback because AGN live in gas-rich, star-forming galaxies. However, simulations do not predict instantaneous, global impact on molecular gas or star formation. The impact is expected to be cumulative, over multiple episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With high-sensitivity kiloparsec-scale radio polarimetry, we can examine the jet-medium interactions and get a better understanding of the blazar divide in radio-loud (RL) AGN. We are analyzing the radio polarimetric observations with the EVLA and GMRT of 24 quasars and BL Lacs belonging to the Palomar-Green (PG) sample. The RL quasars show extensive polarisation structures in their cores, jets, lobes, and hotspots, whereas preliminary results suggest that BL Lacs exhibit polarisation primarily in their cores and inner jet regions. These findings imply that both intrinsic (central engine-related) and extrinsic (environment-related) variables are important in the formation of the blazar subclasses. The Fanaroff-Riley (FR) dichotomy can also be studied assuming RL unification and looking through the lens of blazars. Due to the radio-unbiased nature of the optically/UV-selected PG sample, we find a large fraction of the PG quasars are restarted, distorted (S- or X-shaped), or have a hybrid FR morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN) during the formation of galaxies remains one of the greatest challenges of galaxy formation theory. Towards addressing this, we summarise our recent work investigating: (1) the physical drivers of ionised outflows and (2) observational signatures of the impact by jets/outflows on star formation and molecular gas content in AGN host galaxies. We confirm a connection between radio emission and extreme ionised gas kinematics in AGN hosts. Emission-line selected AGN are significantly more likely to exhibit ionised outflows (as traced by the [O iii] emission line) if the projected linear extent of the radio emission is confined within the spectroscopic aperture. Follow-up high resolution radio observations and integral field spectroscopy of 10 luminous Type 2 AGN reveal moderate power, young (or frustrated) jets interacting with the interstellar medium. We find that these sources live in highly star forming and gas rich galaxies. Additionally, by combining ALMA-derived dust maps with integral field spectroscopy for eight host galaxies of z ≈ 2 X-ray AGN, we show that Hα emission is an unreliable tracer of star formation. For the five targets with ionised outflows we find no dramatic in-situ shut down of the star formation. Across both of these studies we find that if these AGN do have a negative impact upon their host galaxies, it must be happening on small (unresolved) spatial scales and/or an observable galaxy-wide impact has yet to occur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In these proceedings I briefly: (1) review the impact (or “feedback”) that active galactic nuclei (AGN) are predicted to have on their host galaxies and larger scale environment, (2) review the observational evidence for or against these predictions and (3) present new results on ionised outflows in AGN. The observational support for the “maintenance mode” of feedback is strong (caveat the details); AGN at the centre of massive halos appear to be regulating the cooling of hot gas, which could in turn control the levels of future star formation (SF) and black hole growth. In contrast, direct observational support for more rapid forms of feedback, which dramatically impact on SF (i.e., the “quasar mode”), remains elusive. From a systematic study of the spectra of ≈24 000 AGN we find that extreme ionised gas kinematics are common, and are most prevalent in radio bright AGN (L1.4 GHz > 103 W Hz−1). Follow-up IFU observations have shown that these extreme gas kinematics are extended over kilo-parsec scales. However, the co-existence of high-levels of SF, luminous AGN activity and radio jets raises interesting questions on the primary drivers and impact of these outflows. Galaxy-wide, high-mass outflows are being observed in an increasing number of AGN and are a plausible mechanism for the depletion of gas; however, there is still much work to be done to determine the physical processes that drive these outflows and to measure the level of impact that they have on their host galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We use the WISE all sky survey observations to look for counterparts of hard X-ray selected sources from the XMM-Newton-SDSS survey. We then measure the 12 μm luminosity of the AGN by decomposing their optical to infrared SEDs with a host and an AGN component and compare it to the X-ray luminosity and their expected intrinsic relation. This way we select 20 X-ray under-luminous heavily obscured candidates and examine their X-ray and optical properties in more detail. We find evidence for a Compton-thick nucleus for six sources, a number lower than what expected from X-ray background synthesis models, which shows the limitations of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]