Dr Raffaella Morganti (Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands)

The interplay between radiojets and the ISM - Dr Raffaella Morganti Colloquium

ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

Radio-loud AGNs can inhabit regions with a very rich ISM. The presence of
this rich medium is likely related to the origin and evolution of the host
galaxy and of the active nucleus. Recent observations show that a large
fraction of radio galaxies contains a significant young stellar
population. This supports the idea that mergers are responsible for both the
starburst phase and the triggering of the nuclear activity. The gas that
reaches the central regions can have quite disturbed kinematics, likely due to
the effects of the AGN activity and in particular of the powerful radio jets.
The recent detection of fast nuclear gas outflows, observed both in ionised
and neutral gas, is giving new and important insights into the physical
conditions of the gaseous medium around the nucleus and the interaction
between the AGN and this medium. Finally, as another example of the interplay
between the radio activity and the ISM, the possibility of star formation
induced by the passage of the radio jet will be discussed.
I will review some of these new results mainly obtained from studies of the
neutral hydrogen and from optical observations.