2018MNRAS.474.1373R

We present and characterize a sample of 20 nearby Seyfert galaxies selected for having BAT 14-195 keV luminosities L_X >= 10^41.5 erg s^–1, redshift z <= 0.015, being accessible for observations with the Gemini Near-Infrared Field Spectrograph (NIFS) and showing extended [O III]λ5007 emission. Our goal is to study Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) feeding and feedback processes from near-infrared integral-field spectra, which include both ionized (H II) and hot molecular (H₂) emission. This sample is complemented by other nine Seyfert galaxies previously observed with NIFS. We show that the host galaxy properties (absolute magnitudes M_B, M_H, central stellar velocity dispersion and axial ratio) show a similar distribution to those of the 69 BAT AGN. For the 20 galaxies already observed, we present surface mass density (Σ) profiles for H II and H₂ in their inner ∼500 pc, showing that H II emission presents a steeper radial gradient than H₂. This can be attributed to the different excitation mechanisms: ionization by AGN radiation for H II and heating by X-rays for H₂. The mean surface mass densities are in the range (0.2 <= Σ_H II_ <= 35.9) M_☉ pc^–2, and (0.2 <= Σ_H2 <= 13.9)x 10^–3 M_☉ pc^–2, while the ratios between the H II and H₂ masses range between ∼200 and 8000. The sample presented here will be used in future papers to map AGN gas excitation and kinematics, providing a census of the mass inflow and outflow rates and power as well as their relation with the AGN luminosity.