[en] We use a phenomenological model to show that black hole growth in the local universe ($z\lesssim <!--\; ???\; -->0.1$) can be described by two separate, mass-independent Eddington ratio distribution functions (ERDFs). We assume that black holes can be divided into two independent groups: those with radiatively efficient accretion, primarily hosted by optically blue and green galaxies, and those with radiatively inefficient accretion, which are mainly found in red galaxies. With observed galaxy stellar mass functions as input, we show that the observed active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity functions can be reproduced by using mass-independent, broken power-law-shaped ERDFs. We use the observed hard X-ray and 1.4 GHz radio luminosity functions to constrain the ERDF for radiatively efficient and inefficient AGNs, respectively. We also test alternative ERDF shapes and mass-dependent models. Our results are consistent with a mass-independent AGN fraction and AGN hosts being randomly drawn from the galaxy population. We argue that the ERDF is not shaped by galaxy-scale effects, but by how efficiently material can be transported from the inner few parsecs to the accretion disc. Our results are incompatible with the simplest form of mass quenching where massive galaxies host higher accretion rate AGNs. Furthermore, if reaching a certain Eddington ratio is a sufficient condition for maintenance mode, it can occur in all red galaxies, not just the most massive ones.

[en] We investigate the presence of shock-excited H₂ in four Virgo cluster galaxies that show clear evidence of ongoing ram pressure stripping. Mid-infrared spectral mapping of the rotational H₂ emission lines were performed using the Infrared Spectrograph on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. We target four regions along the leading side of galaxies where the intracluster medium appears to be pushing back the individual galaxy's interstellar medium. For comparison purposes, we also study two regions on the trailing side of these galaxies: a region within an edge-on disk and an extraplanar star-forming region. We find a factor of 2.6 excess of warm H₂/PAH in our sample relative to the observed fractions in other nearby galaxies. We attribute the H₂/PAH excess to contributions of shock-excited H₂ which is likely to have been triggered by ongoing ram pressure interaction in our sample galaxies. Ram pressure driven shocks may also be responsible for the elevated ratios of [Fe II]/[Ne II] found in our sample.

[en] We conducted 22 GHz 1″ Jansky Very Large Array imaging of 100 radio-quiet X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the Swift–Burst Array Telescope (Swift–BAT) survey. We find AGN-driven kiloparsec-scale radio structures inconsistent with pure star formation in 11 AGN. The host galaxies of these AGN lie significantly below the star-forming main sequence, indicating suppressed star formation. While these radio structures tend to be physically small compared to the host galaxy, the global star formation rate of the host is affected. We evaluate the energetics of the radio structures interpreted first as immature radio jets, and then as consequences of an AGN-driven radiative outflow, and compare them to two criteria for successful feedback: the ability to remove the CO-derived molecular gas mass from the galaxy gravitational potential and the kinetic energy transfer to molecular clouds leading to v _cloud > σ _*. In most cases, the jet interpretation is insufficient to provide the energy necessary to cause the star formation suppression. Conversely, the wind interpretation provides ample energy in all but one case. We conclude that it is more likely that the observed suppression of star formation in the global host galaxy is due to interstellar medium interactions of a radiative outflow, rather than a small-scale radio jet.

[en] We present a detailed study of the star cluster population detected in the galaxy NGC 922, one of the closest collisional ring galaxies known to date, using Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 UBVI photometry, population synthesis models, and N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations. We find that 69% of the clusters are younger than 7 Myr, and that most of them are located in the ring or along the bar, consistent with the strong Hα emission. The cluster luminosity function slope of 2.1-2.3 for NGC 922 is in agreement with those of young clusters in nearby galaxies. Models of the cluster age distribution match the observations best when cluster disruption is considered. We also find clusters with ages (>50 Myr) and masses (>10⁵ M _sun) that are excellent progenitors for faint fuzzy clusters. The images also show a tidal plume pointing toward the companion. Its stellar age from our analysis is consistent with pre-existing stars that were stripped off during the passage of the companion. Finally, a comparison of the star-forming complexes observed in NGC 922 with those of a distant ring galaxy from the GOODS field indicates very similar masses and sizes, suggesting similar origins.

[en] We present a new fast radio burst (FRB) at 920 MHz discovered during commensal observations conducted with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) as part of the Commensal Real-time ASKAP Fast Transients (CRAFT) survey. FRB 191001 was detected at a dispersion measure (DM) of 506.92(4) pc cm⁻³ and its measured fluence of 143(15) Jy ms is the highest of the bursts localized to host galaxies by ASKAP to date. The subarcsecond localization of the FRB provided by ASKAP reveals that the burst originated in the outskirts of a highly star-forming spiral in a galaxy pair at redshift z = 0.2340(1). Radio observations show no evidence for a compact persistent radio source associated with the FRB 191001 above a flux density of 15 μJy. However, we detect diffuse synchrotron radio emission from the disk of the host galaxy that we ascribe to ongoing star formation. FRB 191001 was also detected as an image-plane transient in a single 10 s snapshot with a flux density of 19.3 mJy in the low-time-resolution visibilities obtained simultaneously with CRAFT data. The commensal observation facilitated a search for repeating and slowly varying radio emissions 8 hr before and 1 hr after the burst. We found no variable radio emission on timescales ranging from 1 ms to 1.4 hr. We report our upper limits and briefly review FRB progenitor theories in the literature that predict radio afterglows. Our data are still only weakly constraining of any afterglows at the redshift of the FRB. Future commensal observations of more nearby and bright FRBs will potentially provide stronger constraints.