Gemini NIFS survey of feeding and feedback in nearby active galaxies – IV. Excitation

ABSTRACT The near-infrared spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGN) present emission lines different atomic and molecular species. mechanisms involved in the origin these AGN are still not fully understood. We use J- K-band integral field six luminous ($43.1\lt \log L_{\rm bol}/({\rm erg\, s^{-1}})\lt 44.4$) Seyfert galaxies (NGC 788, Mrk 607, NGC 3227, 3516, 5506, 5899) local Universe (0.0039 < z 0.0136) to investigate gas excitation within inner 100–300 pc radius at spatial resolutions a few tens parsecs. In all galaxies, H2 originates from thermal processes with temperatures range 2400–5200 K. high-line ratio (HLR) region H2/Br? versus [Fe ii]/Pa? diagnostic diagram, which includes 29 per cent spaxels, shocks main mechanism, as indicated by correlation between line widths ratios. diagram (64 spaxels) is due radiation. ii] produced combination photoionization radiation five dominated 788. [S ix]1.2523 ?m coronal its flux distributions extended 80 185 galaxy nuclei, except for 5899, this detected only integrated spectrum.