AGN feedback plays a crucial role in regulating star formation and shaping galaxy evolution. While the impact of radiative winds and radio jets in high-power AGN is well-understood, feedback in low-power AGN remains poorly characterized. Our study focuses on a sample of nine low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) that exhibit jet-mode AGN activity, blue optical colors, high molecular gas masses, young stellar populations (~100 Myrs), yet low star formation efficiencies—properties that challenge the traditional AGN feedback paradigm, which typically associates LERGs with older stellar populations, low gas content, and suppressed star formation due to jet-mode feedback. Using Gemini's GNIRS instrument, we will analyze ro-vibrational H_2 emission lines in the near-infrared to probe warm molecular gas dynamics and excitation mechanisms. These transitions directly trace shock-heated gas, offering insights into feedback-induced turbulence and star formation regulation. By comparing H_2 kinematics and excitation with CO and [FeII] data, we aim to distinguish between AGN-driven and star formation-driven feedback processes. This analysis will place low-power radio galaxies on the "feedback ladder," bridging the gap between feedback mechanisms in low- and high-power AGN. By integrating molecular gas and feedback diagnostics, we will contribute to a quantitative understanding of how AGN jets regulate star formation and influence galaxy evolution in the local universe.
