scholarly journals Near-infrared morphologies of the host galaxies of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies

2018 ◽  
Vol 619 ◽  
pp. A69 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Järvelä ◽  
A. Lähteenmäki ◽  
M. Berton
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Large Fraction ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Narrow Line ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Nuclear Activity ◽  
Nir Imaging ◽  
Heterogeneous Nature ◽  
Minor Mergers

We present J-band near-infrared (NIR) imaging of the host galaxies of nine narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1). Based on high-frequency radio observations at 37 GHz, seven of them could host powerful jets that are most likely relativistic. Host galaxy morphology studies of NLS1 galaxies are scarce, but exceedingly important for understanding the seemingly heterogeneous nature of the NLS1 population as well as their evolution and place in the active galactic nuclei (AGN) scheme. Increasing the sample size is essential for achieving statistically significant results. We determine the morphological types of the host galaxies by performing photometric decomposition of NIR images using a 2D image decomposition algorithm GALFIT. We were able to sufficiently model five of the nine host galaxies. Based on the fitting parameters, mainly the Sérsic index, all five are disk-like galaxies. Sources with clearly distinguishable bulge components all have pseudo-bulges, and four out of five sources show a component resembling a bar. A surprisingly large fraction, three out of five, show signs of interaction or disturbed morphology. Our results suggest that spiral galaxies with pseudo-bulges are able to launch and maintain powerful jets. They also imply that interaction – mainly minor mergers – may have a role in initially triggering higher levels of nuclear activity in NLS1 galaxies. Furthermore, our results support the heterogeneous nature of the NLS1 class and indicate that this diversity is caused by different evolutionary stages, possibly due to mergers.

Hosts of jetted narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies in near-infrared

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S356) ◽  
pp. 172-172
Author(s):  
Emilia Järvelä
Keyword(s):  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Narrow Line ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Optical Telescope ◽  
Radio Observatory

AbstractHost galaxy morphology studies of jetted narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1) are scarce. Although it seems that they are mostly hosted by late-type galaxies the results remain inconclusive, mostly due to the small sample size. Increasing the number of studied sources is crucial to achieve statistically significant results and to establish a preferred host type for jetted NLS1s. To this end we observed the host galaxies of nine NLS1s in near-infrared using NOTCam at the Nordic Optical Telescope. Seven of these sources are jetted based on the 37 GHz observations at Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Finland. To determine the morphological types of the hosts we performed photometric decomposition of the near-infrared images using GALFIT. Here we present the results of the host galaxy modelling, discuss the importance of this study to our understanding of the nature of the diverse NLS1 population, as well as its significance and implications for active galactic nuclei research in general.

scholarly journals The disc-like host galaxies of radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1s

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (1) ◽  
pp. 1450-1464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Olguín-Iglesias ◽  
Jari Kotilainen ◽  
Vahram Chavushyan
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brightness Distribution ◽  
Morphological Properties ◽  
Narrow Line ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Relativistic Jets ◽  
Optical Telescope ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Γ Rays ◽  
Minor Mergers

ABSTRACT Until recently, relativistic jets were ubiquitously found to be launched from giant elliptical galaxies. However, the detection by the Fermi-LAT of γ-ray emission from radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (RL-NLSy1) galaxies raised doubts on this relation. Here, we morphologically characterize a sample of 29 RL-NLSy1s (including 12 γ-emitters, γ-NLSy1s) in order to find clues on the conditions needed by active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to produce relativistic jets. We use deep near-infrared images from the Nordic Optical Telescope and the ESO VLT to analyse the surface brightness distribution of the galaxies in the sample. We detected 72 per cent of the hosts (24 per cent classified as γ-NLSy1s). Although we cannot rule out that some RL-NLSy1s are hosted by dispersion-supported systems, our findings strongly indicate that RL-NLSy1 hosts are preferentially disc galaxies. 52 per cent of the resolved hosts (77 per cent non-γ-emitters and 20 per cent γ-emitters) show bars with morphological properties (long and weak) consistent with models that promote gas inflows, which might trigger nuclear activity. The extremely red bulges of the γ-NLSy1s, and features that suggest minor mergers in 75 per cent of their hosts, might hint to the necessary conditions for γ-rays to be produced. Among the features that suggest mergers in our sample, we find six galaxies that show offset stellar bulges with respect to their AGNs. When we plot the nuclear versus the bulge magnitude, RL-NLSy1s locate in the low-luminosity end of flat spectrum radio quasars, suggesting a similar accretion mode between these two AGN types.

scholarly journals Testing the evolution of correlations between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies using eight strongly lensed quasars

2020 ◽  
Vol 501 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-280
Author(s):  
Xuheng Ding ◽  
Tommaso Treu ◽  
Simon Birrer ◽  
Adriano Agnello ◽  
Dominique Sluse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Instrumental Resolution ◽  
The Moment

ABSTRACT One of the main challenges in using high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to study the correlations between the mass of a supermassive black hole ($\mathcal {M}_{\rm BH}$) and the properties of its active host galaxy is instrumental resolution. Strong lensing magnification effectively increases instrumental resolution and thus helps to address this challenge. In this work, we study eight strongly lensed AGNs with deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging, using the lens modelling code lenstronomy to reconstruct the image of the source. Using the reconstructed brightness of the host galaxy, we infer the host galaxy stellar mass based on stellar population models. $\mathcal {M}_{\rm BH}$ are estimated from broad emission lines using standard methods. Our results are in good agreement with recent work based on non-lensed AGNs, demonstrating the potential of using strongly lensed AGNs to extend the study of the correlations to higher redshifts. At the moment, the sample size of lensed AGNs is small and thus they provide mostly a consistency check on systematic errors related to resolution for non-lensed AGNs. However, the number of known lensed AGNs is expected to increase dramatically in the next few years, through dedicated searches in ground- and space-based wide-field surveys, and they may become a key diagnostic of black holes and galaxy co-evolution.

scholarly journals The radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0323+342 in a galaxy merger

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (2) ◽  
pp. 1757-1765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akihiro Doi ◽  
Motoki Kino ◽  
Nozomu Kawakatu ◽  
Kazuhiro Hada
Keyword(s):  
Black Holes ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Linear Structure ◽  
Seyfert Galaxies ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Narrow Line

ABSTRACT The supermassive black holes (SMBHs) of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) are at the lower end of the mass function of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and reside preferentially in late-type host galaxies with pseudobulges, which are thought to be formed by internal secular evolution. On the other hand, the population of radio-loud NLS1s presents a challenge for the relativistic jet paradigm, which states that powerful radio jets are associated exclusively with very high mass SMBHs in elliptical hosts, which are built up through galaxy mergers. We investigated distorted radio structures associated with the nearest gamma-ray-emitting, radio-loud NLS1, 1H 0323+342. This provides supporting evidence for the merger hypothesis based on past optical/near-infrared observations of its host galaxy. The anomalous radio morphology consists of two different structures: the inner curved structure of the currently active jet and an outer linear structure of low-brightness relics. Such coexistence might be indicative of the stage of an established black hole binary with precession before the black holes coalesce in the galaxy merger process. 1H 0323+342 and other radio-loud NLS1s under galaxy interactions may be extreme objects on the evolutionary path from radio-quiet NLS1s to normal Seyfert galaxies with larger SMBHs in classical bulges through mergers and merger-induced jet phases.

scholarly journals SDSS J211852.96−073227.5: The first non-local, interacting, late-type intermediate Seyfert galaxy with relativistic jets

2020 ◽  
Vol 636 ◽  
pp. L12 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Järvelä ◽  
M. Berton ◽  
S. Ciroi ◽  
E. Congiu ◽  
A. Lähteenmäki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Seyfert Galaxy ◽  
Late Type ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Relativistic Jets ◽  
Galaxy Interactions ◽  
Non Local ◽  
First Time

It has been often suggested that a tangible relation exists between relativistic jets in active galactic nuclei (AGN) and the morphology of their host galaxies. In particular, relativistic jets may commonly be related to merging events. Here we present for the first time a detailed spectroscopic and morphological analysis of a Seyfert galaxy, SDSS J211852.96−073227.5, at z = 0.26. This source has previously been classified as a gamma-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy. We re-observed it with the 6.5 m Clay Telescope and these new, high-quality spectroscopic data have revealed that it is actually an intermediate-type Seyfert galaxy. Furthermore, the results of modelling the Ks-band near-infrared images obtained with the 6.5 m Baade Telescope indicate that the AGN is hosted by a late-type galaxy in an interacting system, strengthening the suggested connection between galaxy interactions and relativistic jets.

scholarly journals An ASKAP survey for H i absorption towards dust-obscured quasars

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (4) ◽  
pp. 4926-4943 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Glowacki ◽  
J R Allison ◽  
V A Moss ◽  
E K Mahony ◽  
E M Sadler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Spectral Energy Distribution ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Neutral Medium ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Gas Kinematics ◽  
Neutral Gas

ABSTRACT Obscuration of quasars by accreted gas and dust, or dusty intervening galaxies, can cause active galactic nuclei (AGN) to be missed in optically selected surveys. Radio observations can overcome this dust bias. In particular, radio surveys searching for H i absorption inform us on how the AGN can impact on the cold neutral gas medium within the host galaxy, or the population of intervening galaxies through the observed line of sight gas kinematics. We present the results of an H i absorption line survey at 0.4 < z < 1 towards 34 obscured quasars with the Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) commissioning array. We detect three H i absorption lines, with one of these systems previously unknown. Through optical follow-up for two sources, we find that in all detections the H i gas is associated with the AGN, and hence that these AGN are obscured by material within their host galaxies. Most of our sample are compact, and in addition, are either gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS), or steep spectrum (CSS) sources, both thought to represent young or recently re-triggered radio AGN. The radio spectral energy distribution classifications for our sample agree with galaxy evolution models in which the obscured AGN has only recently become active. Our associated H i detection rate for GPS and compact SS sources matches those of other surveys towards such sources. We also find shallow and asymmetric H i absorption features, which agrees with previous findings that the cold neutral medium in compact radio galaxies is typically kinematically disturbed by the AGN.

scholarly journals A candidate optically quiescent quasar lacking narrow emission lines

2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (1) ◽  
pp. L80-L84
Author(s):  
Claire Greenwell ◽  
Poshak Gandhi ◽  
Daniel Stern ◽  
Peter Boorman ◽  
Yoshiki Toba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Evolution ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Optical Emission ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Narrow Line ◽  
Line Region ◽  
Transitional Phase ◽  
Early Type Galaxy ◽  
Narrow Emission

ABSTRACT Many active galactic nuclei (AGN) surveys rely on optical emission line signatures for robust source classification. There are, however, examples of luminous AGN candidates lacking such signatures, including those from the narrow-line region, which are expected to be less susceptible to classical nuclear (torus) obscuration. Here, we seek to formalize this subpopulation of AGN with a prototypical candidate, SDSS J075139.06+402810.9. This shows infrared (IR) colours typical for AGN, an optical spectrum dominated by an early type galaxy continuum, an [O iii] λ5007Å limiting flux about two dex below Type 2 quasars at similar IR power, and a k-corrected 12 $\mu$m quasar-like luminosity of ∼ 1045 erg s−1. These characteristics are not consistent with jet and host galaxy dilution. A potential scenario to explain this AGN quiescence in the optical is a sky-covering ‘cocoon’ of obscuring material, such that the AGN ionizing radiation is unable to escape and excite gas on kpc scales. Alternatively, we may be witnessing the short phase between recent triggering of obscured AGN activity and the subsequent narrow-line excitation. This prototype could define the base properties of an emerging candidate AGN subtype – an intriguing transitional phase in AGN and galaxy evolution.

scholarly journals Long-term NIR variability in the UKIDSS Ultra Deep Survey: a new probe of AGN activity at high redshift

2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (2) ◽  
pp. 3026-3035 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Elmer ◽  
O Almaini ◽  
M Merrifield ◽  
W G Hartley ◽  
D T Maltby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
X Ray ◽  
X Ray Imaging ◽  
Sky Survey ◽  
Deep Survey ◽  
Stellar Masses

ABSTRACT We present the first attempt to select active galactic nuclei (AGN) using long-term near-infrared (NIR) variability. By analysing the K-band light curves of all the galaxies in the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Ultra Deep Survey, the deepest NIR survey over ∼1 deg2, we have isolated 393 variable AGN candidates. A comparison to other selection techniques shows that only half of the variable sources are also selected using either deep Chandra X-ray imaging or Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) colour selection, suggesting that using NIR variability can locate AGN that are missed by more standard selection techniques. In particular, we find that long-term NIR variability identifies AGN at low luminosities and in host galaxies with low stellar masses, many of which appear relatively X-ray quiet.

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