Stellar and Gas Kinematics in Active Galactic Nuclei: The Barred Galaxy NGC 3783
In this talk, I present the results of my master’s thesis research conducted at the DARK Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen with Marianne Vestergaard.
The project focused on the stellar and ionised gas kinematics of the barred Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783, using integral field spectroscopy from MUSE in both Wide and Narrow Field Modes, along with high-resolution photometry from the Hubble Space Telescope. Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are powerful, energetic engines powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the centres of galaxies. While the formation and growth of SMBHs remain open questions, studying the mechanisms of gas inflow and feedback within galaxies offers key insights into their evolution and effect on their host galaxies. For NGC 3783, the ionisation structure in the central bulge reveals strong AGN-driven ionisation and shock excitation. The velocity fields reveal inflow along the bar and outflows misaligned with the stellar disk. I measured the bar pattern speed using the Tremaine-Weinberg method and identified signatures of a possible secondary bar. These results lay the groundwork for Schwarzschild modelling to constrain the SMBH mass and explore feedback mechanisms in AGN-hosting galaxies.