2025ApJ...982...69R

We use James Webb Space Telescope Mid-Infrared Instrument Medium-resolution Spectrometer observations of 3C 293 (UGC 8782), CGCG 012-070 and NGC 3884 to investigate the origin of the H₂ emission. These three nearby active galactic nucleus (AGN) hosts are known to present H₂ emission excess relative to star-forming galaxies, as traced by the H₂ S(3)/PAH_11.3 μm_ line ratio. We define the kinematically disturbed region (KDR) by the AGN and the virially dominated region based on the H₂ line widths, using the W₈₀ parameter. From the correlations between W₈₀ and H₂ S(3)/PAH11.3 μm, as well as the higher H2 S(5)/H2 S(3) and [Fe II]5.34 μm/PAH11.3 μm ratios and flatter power-law temperature distributions observed in the KDR, we conclude that the H₂ emission in the KDR is primarily driven by shock-heated gas. For 3C 293, the KDR is cospatial with the radio core, indicating that the origin of the shocks is the interaction of the radio jet with the interstellar medium, which is also responsible for the observed molecular and ionized gas outflows in this source. The other galaxies are weak radio sources; however, due to the lack of high-resolution radio images, we cannot rule out low-power jets as the origin of the shock-heated H₂. Our results indicate that the excess H₂ emission excess is associated with shock heating of the gas, generated by outflows or by the interaction of the radio jet with the ambient gas.