Characterizing the stellar populations interacting with AGN jets

Abstract

Galaxies hosting an active galactic nucleus may present interactions between relativistic jets, if present, and the surroundingmedium, especially if the central regions are rich in stars and gas. In particular, the presence of stars with strong windsentering into the jets can lead to the formation of shocks in which particles can be accelerated up to relativistic energies. Galaxieswith ongoing starbursts in the innermost regions will present a significant amount of young OB stars close to the central engine,whereas in older galaxies like M87 the population responsible for most of the jet-star interactions will be formed by red giants. Inthis work, we develop prescriptions for the spatial and mass distributions of different populations of stars inside AGN jets, and forthe mass-loss properties of these stars. Our final objective is to explore the consequences of such interactions for jet dynamics andradiation.