Distribution of interstellar medium in the active galactic nucleus

An illustration depicting the distribution of interstellar medium in the active galactic nucleus based on the results of this observation. High-density molecular gas flows from the galaxy towards the black hole along the plane of the disk. The material accumulated around the black hole generates a tremendous amount of energy, causing the molecular gas to be destroyed and transformed into atomic and plasma phases. Most of these multiphase gases are expelled away via outflows from the nucleus (including plasma outflows primarily occurring in the direction above the disk and atomic or molecular outflows mainly occurring diagonally). Still, most of these outflows will fall back to the disk, acting like a gas fountain.
Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), T. Izumi et al.