Fast, dust-poor outflows in the local candidate dual AGN MCG-03-34-64 observed with VLT/ERIS

We present VLT/ERIS IFU J-band observations of MCG-03-34-64, a nearby (z = 0.0167) Seyfert galaxy hosting a candidate dual AGN system with a separation of ~100 pc between the nuclei. The observations cover, among others, the HeI1.083um, [FeII]1.257um and Pa$β$ emission lines, over a FoV of 3"x3"(1x1 kpc$^2$). We analyse the ionised gas kinematics and identify two regions with enhanced velocity dispersion (W801500 km/s), suggestive of fast outflowing gas, spatially coincident with the position of the two candidate active nuclei. The spectra of the two outflows show a prominent blueshifted wing with velocities vmax ~ -1700 km/s corresponding to the highest 2-5 percentiles of samples of local AGN with similar bolometric luminosities. For the ionised phase of the two outflows, we derive comparable masses of $(4\pm1)\times 10^5$ $M_{\odot}$ and mass outflow rates of $20\pm5$ $M_{\odot}$/yr. The two distinct outflows could be associated with the two nuclei, or be generated by the interaction of the radio jet with the ISM. We also analyse the peculiar profile of the [Fe VII]6087A optical coronal line from an archival VLT/X-shooter spectrum. The comparison with the [NeV]3425A and [FeII]1.257um profiles indicates that [Fe VII] emission likely arises only from the outflow. The absence of the systemic component in [Fe VII] - unlike in [NeV], which has similar ionisation potential and critical density - suggests suppression of [Fe VII] due to iron depletion onto dust grains, while its detection in the outflow implies a lower dust content than in the host ISM. The additional information gained from the ERIS data are consistent with the scenario of a dual AGN, however further observations are required to confirm its nature.

💡 Research Summary

The authors present new VLT ERIS integral‑field spectroscopy of the nearby Seyfert galaxy MCG‑03‑34‑64 (z = 0.0167), a system previously identified as a candidate dual active‑galactic‑nucleus (AGN) with a projected separation of ~100 pc. The ERIS observations were obtained with the SPIFFIER IFU in the J‑band (1.09–1.42 µm) at a spatial sampling of 50 mas (≈17 pc) and a spectral resolution of R ≈ 5000, covering a 3″ × 3″ field of view (≈1 kpc ²). The data reveal the ionised gas emission from He I 1.083 µm,