Probing Active Galactic Nuclei-driven Feedback in Dwarf Galaxies with Spatially Resolved Near-infrared Coronal Lines from JWST
April 2026 • 2026ApJ..1000..230A
Abstract • We present the first spatially resolved investigation of near-infrared coronal lines in dwarf galaxies hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN), using JWST/NIRSpec integral field spectroscopy. Coronal lines (CLs), which are forbidden transitions from highly ionized species with ionization potentials up to 450 eV, act as sensitive tracers of the AGN ionizing continuum and feedback processes. Across four dwarf galaxies with ionized gas outflows traced by the optical [O III] lines, we report the detection of 16 unique species of near-infrared CLs. Line ratio diagnostics indicate that photoionization from the AGN dominates the excitation of CLs. We find that the coronal line region in dwarf galaxies, traced by the various CLs, extends up to 0.5 kpc, and can constitute up to 10% of the size of the host galaxy. Correlations between CL luminosities and the properties of [O III] ionized gas outflows are consistent with a scenario in which AGN-driven outflows likely facilitate the detection of CLs and contribute to their extent. Several CLs, including [Si VI], [Si VII], and [Mg VIII], exhibit a secondary broad component with W80 (the line width enclosing 80% of the total flux) >300 km s−1. If we interpret this spatially compact gas as part of an outflow, this would indicate that the outflowing gas includes a wide range of ionization states. The estimated energetics imply this highly ionized component is compact yet powerful enough to perturb gas in the central regions of the host dwarfs. These results indicate that AGN in low-mass galaxies may produce outflows capable of influencing their structure and evolution.
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