Active Galactic Nuclei–driven Metallicity Enrichment in the Interstellar Medium of Mrk 573

Abstract We present the first spatially resolved at ∼20 pc scale application of active galactic nuclei (AGN)-specific metallicity diagnostics for the nearby Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 573 ( z = 0.017). We use Hubble Space Telescope narrowband imaging, MUSE integral-field spectroscopy, and apply AGN strong-line metallicity diagnostics based on [O III ], [S II ], H β , H α , and [N II ] emission lines. We construct maps of <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mn>12</mml:mn> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mi>log</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">O</mml:mi> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">H</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> for two different metallicity calibrations and two different N/O–O/H scaling relations out to ∼1 kpc and down to ∼20 pc scales. Our analysis reveals metallicity enhancement in AGN-dominated regions, with oxygen abundances reaching up to a few times solar. The metallicity shows a patchy spatial distribution, varying on ∼100 pc scales, which appears to trace the high Seyfert/ low-ionization nuclear emission-line region index value regions and the Very Large Array 6 cm jet/radio lobe emission. These spatial correspondences and the lack of evidence for star formation in the bicone region suggest that the enrichment originates from metals transported from the nuclear AGN regions by winds, outflows, or jets.