[en] We have obtained Keck near-infrared spectroscopy of a sample of nine M _⋆ < 10¹⁰ M _⊙ dwarf galaxies to confirm active galactic nuclei (AGNs) activity and the presence of galaxy-wide, AGN-driven outflows through coronal line (CL) emission. We find strong CL detections in 5/9 galaxies (55%) with line ratios incompatible with shocks, confirming the presence of AGNs in these galaxies. Similar CL detection rates are found in larger samples of more massive galaxies hosting type 1 and 2 AGNs. We investigate the connection between the CLs and galaxy-wide outflows by analyzing the kinematics of the CL region as well as the scaling of gas velocity with ionization potential of different CLs. In addition, using complementary Keck Cosmic Web Imager observations of these objects, we find that the outflow velocities measured in [Si vi] are generally faster than those seen in [O iii]. The galaxies with the fastest outflows seen in [O iii] also have the highest [Si vi] luminosity. The lack of J-band CN absorption features, which are often associated with younger stellar populations, provides further evidence that these outflows are driven by AGNs in low-mass galaxies.

[en] We report the discovery of a buried, active supermassive black hole (SMBH) in SDSS J085153.64+392611.76, a bulgeless Seyfert 2 (Sy2) galaxy. Keck near-infrared observations reveal a hidden broad-line region, allowing for the rare case where strong constraints can be placed on both the BH mass and bulge component. Using virial mass estimators, we obtain a BH mass of log(M _BH/M _⊙) = 6.78 ± 0.50. This is one of the only Sy2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) hosted in a bulgeless galaxy with a virial BH mass estimate and could provide important constraints on the formation scenarios of the BH seed population. The lack of a bulge component suggests that the SMBH has grown quiescently, likely caused by secular processes independent of major mergers. In the absence of a detectable bulge component, we find the M _BH–M _stellar relation to be more reliable than the M _BH–M _bulge relation. In addition, we detect extended narrow Paα emission that allows us to create a rotation curve where we see counterrotating gas within the central kiloparsec. Possible causes of this counterrotation include a galactic bar or disruption of the inner gas by a recent fly-by of a companion galaxy. This in turn could have triggered accretion onto the central SMBH in the current AGN phase.

[en] Feedback likely plays a vital role in the formation of dwarf galaxies. While stellar processes have long been considered the main source of feedback, recent studies have revealed tantalizing signs of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in dwarf galaxies. In this paper, we report the results from an integral field spectroscopic study of a sample of eight dwarf galaxies with known AGNs and suspected outflows. Outflows are detected in seven of them. The outflows are fast, with 50th-percentile (median) velocity of up to ∼240 km s⁻¹ and 80th-percentile line width reaching ∼1200 km s⁻¹, in clear contrast with the more quiescent kinematics of the host gas and stellar components. The outflows are generally spatially extended on a scale of several hundred parsecs to a few kiloparsecs, although our data do not clearly resolve the outflows in three targets. The outflows appear to be primarily photoionized by the AGN rather than shocks or young, massive stars. The kinematics and energetics of these outflows suggest that they are primarily driven by the AGN, although the star formation activity in these objects may also contribute to the energy input. A small but nonnegligible portion of the outflowing material likely escapes the main body of the host galaxy and contributes to the enrichment of the circumgalactic medium. Overall, the impact of these outflows on their host galaxies is similar to those taking place in the more luminous AGNs in the low-redshift universe.

[en] In contrast to massive galaxies with solar or super-solar gas phase metallicities, very few active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are found in low-metallicity dwarf galaxies. Such a population could provide insight into the origins of supermassive black holes. Here we report near-IR spectroscopic and X-ray observations of SDSS J105621.45+313822.1, a low-mass, low-metallicity galaxy with optical narrow line ratios consistent with star-forming galaxies but a broad Hα line and mid-infrared colors consistent with an AGN. We detect the [Si vi] 1.96 μm coronal line and a broad Paα line with an FWHM of 850 ± 25 km s⁻¹. Together with the optical broad lines and coronal lines seen in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectrum, we confirm the presence of a highly accreting black hole with mass (2.2 ± 1.3) × 10⁶ M _⊙, with a bolometric luminosity of ≈10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ based on the coronal line luminosity, implying a highly accreting AGN. Chandra observations reveal a weak nuclear point source with $L_{\mathrm{X},2\text{--}10\mathrm{k}\mathrm{e}\mathrm{V}}=(2.3\pm <!--\; ??\; -->1.2)\times <!--\; ??\; -->{10}^{41}$ erg s⁻¹, ∼2 orders of magnitude lower than that predicted by the mid-infrared luminosity, suggesting that the AGN is highly obscured despite showing broad lines in the optical spectrum. The low X-ray luminosity and optical narrow line ratios of J1056+3138 highlight the limitations of commonly employed diagnostics in the hunt for AGNs in the low-metallicity, low-mass regime.

[en] The detection and characterization of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in local low mass galaxies is crucial to our understanding of the origins of SMBHs. This statement assumes that low mass galaxies have had a relatively quiet cosmic history, so that their black holes have not undergone significant growth and therefore can be treated as relics of the original SMBH seeds. While recent studies have found optical signatures of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in a growing population of dwarf galaxies, these studies are biased against low metallicity and relatively merger-free galaxies, thus missing precisely the demographic in which to search for the relics of SMBH seeds. Here, we report the detection of the [Si vi]1.963 μm coronal line (CL), a robust indicator of an AGN in the galaxy SDSS J160135.95+311353.7, a nearby (z = 0.031) low metallicity galaxy with a stellar mass approximately an order of magnitude lower than the LMC (M _* ≈ 10^8.56 M _⊙) and no optical evidence for an AGN. The AGN bolometric luminosity implied by the CL detection is ≈10⁴² erg s⁻¹, precisely what is predicted from its near-infrared continuum emission based on well-studied AGNs. Our results are consistent with a black hole of mass ≈10⁵ M _⊙, in line with expectations based on its stellar mass. This is the first time a near-infrared CL has been detected in a low mass, low metallicity galaxy with no optical evidence for AGN activity, providing confirmation of the utility of infrared CLs in finding AGNs in low mass galaxies when optical diagnostics fail. These observations highlight a powerful avenue of investigation to hunt for low mass black holes in the James Webb Space Telescope era.