The Spatially Resolved Hot Gas Properties of NGC 1266’s Active Galactic Nucleus-driven Outflow

Abstract Galactic winds play a critical role in galaxy evolution, yet their structure and driving mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially in low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN) systems. NGC 1266 hosts one such LLAGN, embedded in a massive molecular gas reservoir that is not forming stars, likely due to AGN feedback. We analyze deep archival Chandra data to constrain the properties of its hot gas and compare them to other wind systems. We find temperatures of 0.25–1.8 keV and notably high electron densities of 0.33–4.2 cm −3 , suggesting significant mass loading, further supported by charge exchange emission in the southern lobe, one of the few AGN systems where it has been detected. We measure pressures and thermal energies of 10 6 –10 8 K cm −3 and 10 54 –10 56 erg, exceeding the minimum energy needed for the radio jet to power the outflow and implying the hot phase comprises a large fraction of the energy budget. Archival MUSE data reveal a cavity-like feature in the southern outflow, potentially associated with the far side of the outflow cone. At the maximum outflow extent, the warm and hot phases appear to be in pressure equilibrium. Coupled with short cooling timescales of ∼1 Myr, comparable to the advection time, this suggests the outflow is undergoing radiative cooling and may have stalled. Finally, we compare NGC 1266 to other local AGN and starburst galaxies, finding NGC 1266 to be the densest wind in the sample.