Papers
Topics
Authors
Recent
Search
2000 character limit reached

Resolving Dual Active Galactic Nuclei with ~100 pc separation in MCG-03-34-64

Published 12 Mar 2024 in astro-ph.GA | (2403.07717v5)

Abstract: We report the serendipitous multiwavelength discovery of a candidate dual black hole system with a separation of ~100 pc, in the gas-rich luminous infrared galaxy MCG-03-34-64 (z=0.016). Hubble Space Telescope/ACS observations show three distinct optical centroids in the [O III] narrow-band and F814W images. Subsequent analysis of Chandra/ACIS data shows two spatially-resolved peaks of equal intensity in the neutral Fe Ka (6.2-6.6 keV) band, while high-resolution radio continuum observations with the Very Large Array at 8.46 GHz (3.6 cm band) show two spatially-coincident radio peaks. Fast shocks as the ionizing source seem unlikely, given the energies required for production of Fe Ka. If confirmed, the separation of ~100 pc would represent the closest dual AGN reported to date with spatially-resolved, multiwavelength observations.

Definition Search Book Streamline Icon: https://streamlinehq.com
References (46)
  1. Springel, V. et al. Simulations of the formation, evolution and clustering of galaxies and quasars. \JournalTitleNature 435, 629–636, DOI: 10.1038/nature03597 (2005).
  2. Massive binary black holes in the cosmic landscape. \JournalTitleAdvanced Science Letters 4, 181–203 (2011).
  3. Colpi, M. Massive binary black holes in galactic nuclei and their path to coalescence. \JournalTitleSpace Science Reviews 183, 189–221, DOI: 10.1007/s11214-014-0067-1 (2014).
  4. Go with the Flow: Understanding inflow mechanisms in galaxy collisions. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 479, 3952–3965, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/sty1605 (2018). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/479/3/3952/25169966/sty1605.pdf.
  5. Massive black hole evolution models confronting the n-Hz amplitude of the stochastic gravitational wave background. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 509, 3488–3503, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab3239 (2021). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/509/3/3488/41360112/stab3239.pdf.
  6. Koss, M. et al. Broadband observations of the compton-thick nucleus of ngc 3393. \JournalTitleApJ 807, 149 (2015).
  7. Veres, P. M. et al. European vlbi network observations of the proposed dual agn sdss j101022.95+141300.9. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 922, 99, DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac307d (2021).
  8. Tatum, M. M. et al. The global implications of the hard excess. ii. analysis of the local population of radio-quiet agns. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 818, 12, DOI: 10.3847/0004-637X/818/1/12 (2016).
  9. Complex absorption hides a type ii qso in iras 13197-1627. \JournalTitleA&A 413, 921–927, DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20031561 (2004).
  10. IRAS 13197-1627 has them all: Compton-thin absorption, photoionized gas, thermal plasmas and a broad Fe line. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 375, 227–239, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.11291.x (2007). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/375/1/227/3093914/mnras0375-0227.pdf.
  11. Jet directions in seyfert galaxies: Radio continuum imaging data. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 132, 199, DOI: 10.1086/318957 (2001).
  12. Hönig, S. F. et al. The dusty heart of nearby active galaxies* - i. high-spatial resolution mid-ir spectro-photometry of seyfert galaxies. \JournalTitleA&A 515, A23, DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200913742 (2010).
  13. Optical spectra of iras "warm" galaxies. \JournalTitlePublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 97, 1129, DOI: 10.1086/131676 (1985).
  14. An optical and uv investigation of the iras seyfert galaxy 1319-164. \JournalTitleAJ 95, 1371 (1988).
  15. Spectral emission of a sample of iras galaxies. \JournalTitlePublications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 106, 978, DOI: 10.1086/133470 (1994).
  16. Young, S. et al. Polarimetry and modelling of narrow-line active galaxies. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 281, 1206–1242, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/281.4.1206 (1996). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/281/4/1206/3697001/281-4-1206.pdf.
  17. Fischer, T. C. et al. Hubble space telescope observations of extended [o iii] λ𝜆\lambdaitalic_λ 5007 emission in nearby qso2s: New constraints on agn host galaxy interaction. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 856, 102 (2018).
  18. Detailed structural decomposition of galaxy images. \JournalTitleThe Astronomical Journal 124, 266 (2002).
  19. Detailed decomposition of galaxy images. ii. beyond axisymmetric models. \JournalTitleThe Astronomical Journal 139, 2097 (2010).
  20. The origin of x-shaped radio galaxies: Clues from the z-symmetric secondary lobes. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 594, L103, DOI: 10.1086/378766 (2003).
  21. Zier, C. Orientation and size of the ‘Z’ in X-shaped radio galaxies. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 364, 583–592, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2005.09586.x (2005). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/364/2/583/18661998/364-2-583.pdf.
  22. X-ray reflection from cold matter in Active Galactic Nuclei and X-ray binaries. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 249, 352–367, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/249.2.352 (1991). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/249/2/352/3427579/mnras249-0352.pdf.
  23. An X-ray spectral model for Compton-thick toroidal reprocessors. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 397, 1549–1562, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15025.x (2009). https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/397/3/1549/3748819/mnras0397-1549.pdf.
  24. Maksym, P. et al. Mapping seyfert and liner excitation modes in the inner kpc of ngc 3393. \JournalTitleApJ 829, 46 (2016).
  25. Deep chandra observations of ngc 5728: Morphology and spectral properties of the extended x-ray emission. \JournalTitleApJ 950, 143 (2023).
  26. Discovery of extended fe ka complex x-ray emission in ngc 5728. \JournalTitleApjL (2023).
  27. Goulding, A. D. et al. Discovery of a close-separation binary quasar at the heart of a z = 0.2 merging galaxy and its implications for low-frequency gravitational waves. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Letters 879, L21, DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab2a14 (2019).
  28. A close nuclear black-hole pair in the spiral galaxy ngc 3393. \JournalTitleNature 477, 431–434, DOI: 10.1038/nature10364 (2011).
  29. Deane, R. P. et al. A close-pair binary in a distant triple supermassive black hole system. \JournalTitleNature 511, 57–60, DOI: 10.1038/nature13454 (2014).
  30. Evidence from the very long baseline array that j1502se/sw are double hotspots, not a supermassive binary black hole. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Letters 792, L8, DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/792/1/L8 (2014).
  31. Koss, M. J. et al. Ugc 4211: A confirmed dual active galactic nucleus in the local universe at 230 pc nuclear separation. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Letters 942, L24, DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aca8f0 (2023).
  32. Breaking all the rules: The compact symmetric object 0402+379. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 602, 123, DOI: 10.1086/380919 (2004).
  33. Constraining the orbit of the supermassive black hole binary 0402+379. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 843, 14, DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aa74e1 (2017).
  34. Komossa, S. et al. Discovery of a binary active galactic nucleus in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy ngc 6240 using chandra. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 582, L15, DOI: 10.1086/346145 (2002).
  35. Ngc 6240 : a unique interacting galaxy. \JournalTitleAstronomy & Astrophysics 118, 166 (1983).
  36. Extinction and the wavelength dependent positions of the nuclei of ngc 6240. \JournalTitleAstronomy & Astrophysics 277, 416 (1993).
  37. The physics of galactic winds driven by active galactic nuclei. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 425, 605 (2012).
  38. Tonry, J. L. Constraints on the orbits of multiple nuclei in brightest cluster galaxies. \JournalTitleApJ 279, 13 (1984).
  39. An offset seyfert 2 nucleus in the minor merger system ngc 3341. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 683, L119, DOI: 10.1086/591905 (2008).
  40. Cosmic train wreck by massive black holes: Discovery of a kiloparsec-scale triple active galactic nucleus*. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Letters 736, L7, DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/736/1/L7 (2011).
  41. Schawinski, K. et al. Evidence for three accreting black holes in a galaxy at z -1.35: A snapshot of recently formed black hole seeds? \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Letters 743, L37, DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/743/2/L37 (2011).
  42. Massive black hole binaries in active galactic nuclei. \JournalTitleNature 287, 307–309, DOI: 10.1038/287307a0 (1980).
  43. Recoiling black holes in merging galaxies: relationship to active galactic nucleus lifetimes, starbursts and the MBH–sigma relation. \JournalTitleMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 412, 2154–2182 (2011).
  44. Koss, M. et al. Understanding dual active galactic nucleus activation in the nearby universe. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal Letters 746, L22, DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/746/2/L22 (2012).
  45. Wassenhove, S. V. et al. The american astronomical society, find out more the institute of physics, find out more letters observability of dual active galactic nuclei in merging galaxies. \JournalTitleApJL 748, L7 (2012).
  46. Fornasini, F. M. et al. Termination shocks and the extended x-ray emission in mrk 78. \JournalTitleThe Astrophysical Journal 931, 65, DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac694d (2022).

Summary

No one has generated a summary of this paper yet.

Sign Up to Summarize

Paper to Video (Beta)

No one has generated a video about this paper yet.

Sign Up to Generate All Videos Subscribe on YouTube

Whiteboard

No one has generated a whiteboard explanation for this paper yet.

Sign Up to Generate

Open Problems

We haven't generated a list of open problems mentioned in this paper yet.

Generate Now

Continue Learning

We haven't generated follow-up questions for this paper yet.

Generate Now

Collections

Sign up for free to add this paper to one or more collections.

Sign Up

Tweets

Sign up for free to view the 10 tweets with 6 likes about this paper.

Sign Up for Free