AGN Feedback: The impact of galactic-scale radio jets on the interstellar medium in starbursting obscured AGN

Abstract: A highly star-forming galaxy at z ~ 2 hosting an obscured, luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN) and a relativistic radio jet sets the stage for a cosmic crime scene. The victim is star formation, the suspect is AGN feedback. These systems offer a rare opportunity to catch this process in the act. We propose SHARP@ELT integral-field spectroscopic observations of heavily obscured, luminous AGN with resolved radio emission to witness the onset of feedback and its impact on the host interstellar medium (ISM). Such objects trace a short-lived (< 10^5 yr) evolutionary phase in which a recent starburst, newly triggered radio jets, and a deeply embedded AGN coexist. In this phase, feedback is expected to suppress star formation while clearing the dusty nuclear regions. Using SHARP/VESPER, we will derive spatially resolved maps of stellar ages, star formation rate density, gas density, and ionization state, alongside the kinematics of stars and ionized gas. By directly comparing these properties with the radio structures, we will quantify the effects of both jet-driven and radiative feedback on the ISM. Our sample consists of eleven luminous, obscured AGN at 1.5 < z < 2.5 with resolved radio emission on scales of ~1-15 kpc. Exploiting the VESPER multi-Integral Field Selector capability, we will obtain resolved continuum and emission-line maps for at least 110 galaxies at cosmic noon, enabling a comprehensive characterization of their environment, multiphase ISM, and nuclear activity within 55 h of integration time. SHARP will thus reveal AGN feedback at the epoch when it is most effective, providing a decisive step toward understanding its role in galaxy evolution.