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The Host Galaxies of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies: Nuclear Dust Morphology and Starburst Rings
We present a study of the nuclear morphology of a sample of narrow- andbroad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s and BLS1s, respectively) based onbroadband images in the Hubble Space Telescope archives. In our previousstudy we found that large-scale stellar bars at >1 kpc from thenucleus are more common in NLS1s than BLS1s. In this paper we find thatNLS1s preferentially have grand-design dust spirals within ~1 kpc oftheir centers. We also find that NLS1s have a higher fraction of nuclearstar-forming rings than BLS1s. We find that many of the morphologicaldifferences are due to the presence or absence of a large-scale stellarbar within the spiral host galaxy. In general, barred Seyfert 1 galaxiestend to have grand-design dust spirals at their centers, confirming theresults of other researchers. The high fraction of grand-design nucleardust spirals and stellar nuclear rings observed in NLS1s' host galaxiessuggests a means for efficient fueling of their nuclei to support theirhigh Eddington ratios.
| The K-band properties of Seyfert 2 galaxies
Aims. It is well known that the [O iii]λ5007 emission line andhard X-ray (2-10 keV) luminosities are good indicators of AGN activitiesand that the near and mid-infrared emission of AGN originates fromre-radiation of dusty clouds heated by the UV/optical radiation from theaccretion disk. In this paper we present a study of the near-infraredK-band (2.2 μm) properties for a sample of 65 Seyfert 2 galaxies. Methods: .By using the AGN/Bulge/Disk decomposition technique, weanalyzed the 2MASS K_S-band images for Seyfert 2 galaxies in order toderive the K_S-band magnitudes for the central engine, bulge, and diskcomponents. Results: .We find that the K_S-band magnitudes of thecentral AGN component in Seyfert 2 galaxies are tightly correlated withthe [O iii]λ5007 and the hard X-ray luminosities, which suggeststhat the AGN K-band emission is also an excellent indicator of thenuclear activities at least for Seyfert 2 galaxies. We also confirm thegood relation between the central black hole masses and bulge's K-bandmagnitudes for Seyfert 2s.
| Connecting the cosmic infrared background to the X-ray background
We estimate the contribution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and oftheir host galaxies to the infrared background. We use the luminosityfunction and evolution of AGN recently determined by the hard X-raysurveys, and new spectral energy distributions connecting the X-ray andthe infrared emission, divided in intervals of absorption. These twoingredients allow us to determine the contribution of AGN to theinfrared background by using mostly observed quantities, with only minorassumptions. We find that AGN emission contributes little to theinfrared background (<5 per cent over most of the infrared bands),implying that the latter is dominated by star formation. However, AGNhost galaxies may contribute significantly to the infrared background,and more specifically 10-20 per cent in the 1-20 μm range and ~5 percent at λ < 60μm. We also give the contribution of AGN andof their host galaxies to the source number counts in various infraredbands, focusing on those which will be observed with Spitzer. We alsoreport a significant discrepancy between the expected contribution ofAGN hosts to the submillimetre background and bright submillimetrenumber counts with the observational constraints. We discuss the causesand implications of this discrepancy and the possible effects on theSpitzer far-infrared bands.
| The star formation history of Seyfert 2 nuclei
We present a study of the stellar populations in the central ~200 pc ofa large and homogeneous sample comprising 79 nearby galaxies, most ofwhich are Seyfert 2s. The star formation history of these nuclei isreconstructed by means of state-of-the-art population synthesismodelling of their spectra in the 3500-5200 Åinterval. Aquasar-like featureless continuum (FC) is added to the models to accountfor possible scattered light from a hidden active galactic nucleus(AGN).We find the following. (1) The star formation history of Seyfert 2nuclei is remarkably heterogeneous: young starbursts, intermediate-ageand old stellar populations all appear in significant and widely varyingproportions. (2) A significant fraction of the nuclei show a strong FCcomponent, but this FC is not always an indication of a hidden AGN: itcan also betray the presence of a young, dusty starburst. (3) We detectweak broad Hβ emission in several Seyfert 2s after cleaning theobserved spectrum by subtracting the synthesis model. These are mostlikely the weak scattered lines from the hidden broad-line regionenvisaged in the unified model, given that in most of these casesindependent spectropolarimetry data find a hidden Seyfert 1. (4) The FCstrengths obtained by the spectral decomposition are substantiallylarger for the Seyfert 2s which present evidence of broad lines,implying that the scattered non-stellar continuum is also detected. (5)There is no correlation between the star formation in the nucleus andeither the central or overall morphology of the parent galaxies.
| The infrared continuum of active galactic nuclei
We discuss the different physical processes contributing to the infraredcontinuum of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), assuming that bothphotoionization from the active centre and shocks ionize and heat thegas and dust contained in an ensemble of clouds surrounding the nucleus.In our model, radiation transfer of primary and secondary radiationthroughout a cloud is calculated consistently with collisional processesdue to the shock. We consider that the observed continuum corresponds toreprocessed radiation from both dust and gas in the clouds. Collisionalprocesses are important in the presence of shocks. The grains aresputtered crossing the shock front. The models are constrained bysputtering as well as by the far-infrared data. The model is applied tothe continuum of Seyfert galaxies from which the best estimate of thenuclear, stellar subtracted, emission is available. The results showthat radiation-dominated high-velocity clouds are more numerous inSeyfert 1-1.5 whereas shock-dominated low-velocity clouds are dominantin Seyfert type 2. This result is in full agreement with the unifiedmodel for AGNs, by which high-velocity clouds, placed deeper into thecentral region and therefore reached by a more intense radiation, shouldplay a more significant role in the spectra of broad-line objects. Wecould therefore conclude that in type 2 objects, radiation is partlysuppressed by a central dusty medium with a high dust-to-gas ratio. Oncethe model approach is tested, a grid of models is used to provide aphenomenological analysis of the observed infrared spectral energydistribution. This empirical method is a useful tool to rapidly accessthe physical conditions of the AGN emitting clouds. For this, analyticalforms are derived for the two processes contributing to the infraredemission: dust emission and thermal bremsstrahlung produced by thenarrow-line region clouds. Their relative contribution provides ameasurement of the dust-to-gas ratio.
| Classification of Spectra from the Infrared Space Observatory PHT-S Database
We have classified over 1500 infrared spectra obtained with the PHT-Sspectrometer aboard the Infrared Space Observatory according to thesystem developed for the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) spectra byKraemer et al. The majority of these spectra contribute to subclassesthat are either underrepresented in the SWS spectral database or containsources that are too faint, such as M dwarfs, to have been observed byeither the SWS or the Infrared Astronomical Satellite Low ResolutionSpectrometer. There is strong overall agreement about the chemistry ofobjects observed with both instruments. Discrepancies can usually betraced to the different wavelength ranges and sensitivities of theinstruments. Finally, a large subset of the observations (~=250 spectra)exhibit a featureless, red continuum that is consistent with emissionfrom zodiacal dust and suggest directions for further analysis of thisserendipitous measurement of the zodiacal background.Based on observations with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), aEuropean Space Agency (ESA) project with instruments funded by ESAMember States (especially the Principle Investigator countries: France,Germany, Netherlands, and United Kingdom) and with the participation ofthe Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and the NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
| A Green Bank Telescope Search for Water Masers in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei
Using the Green Bank Telescope, we have conducted a survey for 1.3 cmwater maser emission toward the nuclei of nearby active galaxies, themost sensitive large survey for H2O masers to date. Among 145galaxies observed, maser emission was newly detected in 11 sources andconfirmed in one other. Our survey targeted nearby (v<12,000 kms-1), mainly type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) north ofδ=-20deg and includes a few additional sources as well.We find that more than one-third of Seyfert 2 galaxies have strong maseremission, although the detection rate declines beyond v~5000 kms-1 because of sensitivity limits. Two of the masersdiscovered during this survey are found in unexpected hosts: NGC 4151(Seyfert 1.5) and NGC 2782 (starburst). We discuss the possiblerelations between the large X-ray column to NGC 4151 and a possiblehidden AGN in NGC 2782 to the detected masers. Four of the masersdiscovered here, NGC 591, NGC 4388, NGC 5728, and NGC 6323, havehigh-velocity lines symmetrically spaced about the systemic velocity, alikely signature of molecular gas in a nuclear accretion disk. The masersource in NGC 6323, in particular, reveals the classic spectrum of a``disk maser'' represented by three distinct groups of Dopplercomponents. Future single-dish and VLBI observations of these fourgalaxies could provide a measurement of the distance to each galaxy andof the Hubble constant, independent of standard candle calibrations.
| Comparison of Nuclear Starburst Luminosities between Seyfert 1 and 2 Galaxies Based on Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
We report on infrared K- (2-2.5 μm) and L-band (2.8-4.1 μm) slitspectroscopy of 23 Seyfert 1 galaxies in the CfA and 12 μm samples. Apolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission feature at 3.3 μm inthe L band is primarily used to investigate nuclear star-formingactivity in these galaxies. The 3.3 μm PAH emission is detected in 10sources (=43%), demonstrating that detection of nuclear star formationin a significant fraction of Seyfert 1 galaxies is now feasible. For thePAH-detected nuclei, the surface brightness values of the PAH emissionare as high as those of typical starbursts, suggesting that the PAHemission probes the putative nuclear starbursts in the dusty tori aroundthe central active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The magnitudes of the nuclearstarbursts are quantitatively estimated from the observed 3.3 μm PAHemission luminosities. The estimated starburst luminosities relative tosome indicators of AGN powers in these Seyfert 1 galaxies are comparedwith 32 Seyfert 2 galaxies in the same samples that we have previouslyobserved. We find that there is no significant difference in nuclearstarburst to AGN luminosity ratios of Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies and thatnuclear starburst luminosity positively correlates with AGN power inboth types. Our results favor a slightly modified AGN unification model,which predicts that nuclear starbursts occurring in the dusty tori ofSeyfert galaxies are physically connected to the central AGNs, ratherthan the classical unification paradigm, in which the dusty tori simplyhide the central AGNs of Seyfert 2 galaxies and reprocess AGN radiationas infrared dust emission in Seyfert galaxies. No significantdifferences in nuclear star formation properties are recognizablebetween Seyfert 1 galaxies in the CfA and 12 μm samples.
| Circumnuclear Structure and Black Hole Fueling: Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS Imaging of 250 Active and Normal Galaxies
Why are the nuclei of some galaxies more active than others? If mostgalaxies harbor a central massive black hole, the main difference isprobably in how well it is fueled by its surroundings. We investigatethe hypothesis that such a difference can be seen in the detailedcircumnuclear morphologies of galaxies using several quantitativelydefined features, including bars, isophotal twists, boxy and diskyisophotes, and strong nonaxisymmetric features in unsharp-masked images.These diagnostics are applied to 250 high-resolution images of galaxycenters obtained in the near-infrared with NICMOS on the Hubble SpaceTelescope. To guard against the influence of possible biases andselection effects, we have carefully matched samples of Seyfert 1,Seyfert 2, LINER, starburst, and normal galaxies in their basicproperties, taking particular care to ensure that each was observed witha similar average scale (10-15 pc pixel-1). Severalmorphological differences among our five different spectroscopicclassifications emerge from the analysis. The H II/starburst galaxiesshow the strongest deviations from smooth elliptical isophotes, whilethe normal galaxies and LINERs have the least disturbed morphology. TheSeyfert 2s have significantly more twisted isophotes than any othercategory, and the early-type Seyfert 2s are significantly more disturbedthan the early-type Seyfert 1s. The morphological differences betweenSeyfert 1s and Seyfert 2s suggest that more is at work than simply theviewing angle of the central engine. They may correspond to differentevolutionary stages.
| The relation between AGN hard X-ray emission and mid-infrared continuum from ISO spectra: Scatter and unification aspects
We use mid-infrared spectral decomposition to separate the 6 μmmid-infrared AGN continuum from the host emission in the ISO lowresolution spectra of 71 active galaxies and compare the results toobserved and intrinsic 2-10 keV hard X-ray fluxes from the literature.We find a correlation between mid-infrared luminosity and absorptioncorrected hard X-ray luminosity, but the scatter is about an order ofmagnitude, significantly larger than previously found with smallerstatistics. Main contributors to this scatter are likely variations inthe geometry of absorbing dust, and AGN variability in combination withnon-simultaneous observations. There is no significant differencebetween type 1 and type 2 objects in the average ratio of mid-infraredand hard X-ray emission, a result which is not consistent with the mostsimple version of a unified scheme in which an optically andgeometrically thick torus dominates the mid-infrared AGN continuum. Mostprobably, significant non-torus contributions to the AGN mid-IRcontinuum are masking the expected difference between the two types ofAGN.Table 1 is only available in electronic form at the CDS via anonymousftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/418/465Based on observations with ISO, an ESA project with instruments fundedby ESA member states (especially the PI countries: France, Germany, TheNetherlands, and the UK) with the participation of ISAS and NASA.
| Radio emission from AGN detected by the VLA FIRST survey
Using the most recent (April 2003) version of the VLA FIRST survey radiocatalog, we have searched for radio emission from >2800 AGN takenfrom the most recent (2001) version of the Veron-Cetty and Veron AGNcatalog. These AGN lie in the 9033 square degrees of sky alreadycovered by the VLA FIRST survey. Our work has resulted in positivedetection of radio emission from 775 AGN of which 214 are new detectionsat radio wavelengths.Tables 3 and 4 are only available in electronic form at the CDS viaanonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or viahttp://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/416/35
| Compact Nuclear Starbursts in Seyfert 2 Galaxies from the CfA and 12 Micron Samples
We present infrared 2.8-4.1 μm slit spectra of 32 Seyfert 2 galaxiesin the CfA and 12 μm samples. The 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatichydrocarbon (PAH) emission feature was used to estimate the absolutemagnitude of a compact nuclear starburst (less than a few hundredparsecs in size) that is presumed to have occurred in the outer regionof an obscuring dusty molecular torus around a central supermassiveblack hole. We detected 3.3 μm PAH emission in 11 of the 32 Seyfert 2nuclei in our sample, providing evidence for the presence of compactnuclear starbursts in a significant fraction of Seyfert 2 nuclei.However, the rest-frame equivalent widths of the 3.3 μm PAH emissionand the 3.3 μm PAH-to-infrared luminosity ratios measured in thisstudy suggest that compact nuclear starbursts generally do notcontribute significantly to the observed 3-4 μm nuclear fluxes or tothe infrared luminosities of Seyfert 2 galaxies. Absorption features at3.4 μm from bare dust were clearly detected in only two of thenuclei, and features at 3.1 μm from ice-covered dust were detected inonly one nucleus. If the dust properties in the direction of theseSeyfert 2 nuclei do not differ significantly from the Galacticinterstellar medium, then these small absorption optical depths suggestthat dust extinction toward the 3-4 μm continuum emitting region inthe innermost part of the obscuring dusty torus is modest:AV<50-60 mag. Finally, the 3.3 μm PAH emissionluminosities measured in this study were found to be significantlycorrelated with IRAS 12 and 25 μm and nuclear N-band (10.6 μm)luminosities. If these three luminosities trace the power of the activegalactic nucleus (AGN), then the luminosities of compact nuclearstarbursts and AGNs are correlated. This correlation is in agreementwith theories predicting that the presence of a compact nuclearstarburst in the torus leads to an enhancement of the mass accretionrate onto the central supermassive black hole.
| BeppoSAX Average Spectra of Seyfert Galaxies
We have studied the average 3-200 keV spectra of Seyfert galaxies oftype 1 and 2, using data obtained with BeppoSAX. The average Seyfert 1spectrum is well fitted by a power-law continuum with photon spectralindex Γ~1.9, a Compton reflection component R~0.6-1 (depending onthe inclination angle between the line of sight and the reflectingmaterial), and a high-energy cutoff at around 200 keV; there is also aniron line at 6.4 keV characterized by an equivalent width of 120 eV.Seyfert 2 galaxies, on the other hand, show stronger neutral absorption[NH=(3-4)×1022 atoms cm-2], asexpected, but are also characterized by an X-ray power law that issubstantially harder (Γ~1.75) and with a cutoff at lower energies(Ec~130 keV); the iron line parameters are insteadsubstantially similar to those measured in type 1 objects. There areonly two possible solutions to this problem: to assume more reflectionin Seyfert 2 galaxies than observed in Seyfert 1 galaxies or morecomplex absorption than estimated in the first instance. The firstpossibility is ruled out by the Seyfert 2 to Seyfert 1 ratio, while thesecond provides an average Seyfert 2 intrinsic spectrum very similar tothat of the Seyfert 1. The extra absorber is likely an artifact due tosumming spectra with different amounts of absorption, although we cannotexclude its presence in at least some individual sources. Our resultargues strongly for a very similar central engine in both types ofgalaxies, as expected under the unified theory.
| Chandra Snapshot Observations of Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei with a Compact Radio Source
The results of Chandra snapshot observations of 11 low-ionizationnuclear emission-line regions (LINERs), three low-luminosity Seyfertgalaxies, and one H II-LINER transition object are presented. Our sampleconsists of all the objects with a flat- or inverted-spectrum, compactradio core in the Very Large Array survey of 48 low-luminosity AGNs(LLAGNs) by Nagar and coworkers in 2000. An X-ray nucleus is detected inall galaxies except one, and their X-ray luminosities are in the range5×1038-8×1041 ergs s-1. TheX-ray spectra are generally steeper than expected from thermalbremsstrahlung emission from an advection-dominated accretion flow. TheX-ray-to-Hα luminosity ratios for 11 of 14 objects are in goodagreement, with the value characteristic of LLAGNs and more luminousAGNs, and indicate that their optical emission lines are predominantlypowered by an LLAGN. For three objects, this ratio is less thanexpected. Comparing with properties in other wavelengths, we find thatthese three galaxies are most likely to be heavily obscured AGNs. We usethe ratio RX=νLν(5 GHz)/LX, whereLX is the luminosity in the 2-10 keV band, as a measure ofradio loudness. In contrast to the usual definition of radio loudness[Ro=Lν(5 GHz)/Lν(B)],RX can be used for heavily obscured(NH>~1023 cm-2, AV>50mag) nuclei. Further, with the high spatial resolution of Chandra, thenuclear X-ray emission of LLAGNs is often easier to measure than thenuclear optical emission. We investigate the values of RX forLLAGNs, luminous Seyfert galaxies, quasars, and radio galaxies andconfirm the suggestion that a large fraction of LLAGNs are radio-loud.
| The Host Galaxies of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies: Evidence for Bar-Driven Fueling
We present a study of the host galaxy morphologies of narrow- andbroad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1's and BLS1's) based on broadbandoptical images from the Hubble Space Telescope archives. We find thatlarge-scale stellar bars, starting at ~1 kpc from the nucleus, are muchmore common in NLS1's than BLS1's. Furthermore, the fraction of NLS1spirals that have bars increases with decreasing full width athalf-maximum of the broad component of Hβ. These results suggest alink between the large-scale bars, which can support high fueling ratesto the inner kiloparsecs, and the high mass accretion rates associatedwith the supermassive black holes in NLS1's.
| Spectral Energy Distributions of Seyfert Nuclei
We present nuclear spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in the range0.4-16 μm for an expanded CfA sample of Seyfert galaxies. Thespectral indexes (fν~ν-αIR)from 1 to 16 μm range from αIR~0.9 to 3.8. Theshapes of the spectra are correlated with Seyfert type in the sense thatsteeper nuclear SEDs (νfν increasing with increasingwavelength) tend to be found in Seyfert 2's, and flatter SEDs(νfν is constant) in Seyfert 1-1.5's. The galaxiesoptically classified as Seyferts 1.8's and 1.9's display values ofαIR as in type 1 objects, or values intermediatebetween those of Seyfert 1's and Seyfert 2's. The intermediate SEDs ofmany Seyfert 1.8-1.9's may be consistent with the presence of a pureSeyfert 1 viewed through a moderate amount (AV<~5 mag) offoreground galaxy extinction. We find, however, that between 10% and 20%of galaxies with broad optical line components have steep infrared SEDs.Torus models usually adopt high equatorial opacities to reproduce theinfrared properties of Seyfert 1's and 2's, resulting in a dichotomy ofinfrared SEDs (flat for type 1's, and steep for type 2's). Such adichotomy, however, is not observed in our sample. The wide range ofspectral indexes observed in the type 2 objects, the lack of extremelysteep SEDs, and the large numbers of objects with intermediate spectralindexes cannot be reconciled with predictions from existing opticallythick torus models. We discuss possible modifications to improve torusmodels, including low optical depth tori, clumpy dusty tori, and highoptical depth tori with an extended optically thin component.Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtainedat the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by theAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASAcontract NAS 5-26555.
| A new catalogue of ISM content of normal galaxies
We have compiled a catalogue of the gas content for a sample of 1916galaxies, considered to be a fair representation of ``normality''. Thedefinition of a ``normal'' galaxy adopted in this work implies that wehave purposely excluded from the catalogue galaxies having distortedmorphology (such as interaction bridges, tails or lopsidedness) and/orany signature of peculiar kinematics (such as polar rings,counterrotating disks or other decoupled components). In contrast, wehave included systems hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN) in thecatalogue. This catalogue revises previous compendia on the ISM contentof galaxies published by \citet{bregman} and \citet{casoli}, andcompiles data available in the literature from several small samples ofgalaxies. Masses for warm dust, atomic and molecular gas, as well asX-ray luminosities have been converted to a uniform distance scale takenfrom the Catalogue of Principal Galaxies (PGC). We have used twodifferent normalization factors to explore the variation of the gascontent along the Hubble sequence: the blue luminosity (LB)and the square of linear diameter (D225). Ourcatalogue significantly improves the statistics of previous referencecatalogues and can be used in future studies to define a template ISMcontent for ``normal'' galaxies along the Hubble sequence. The cataloguecan be accessed on-line and is also available at the Centre desDonnées Stellaires (CDS).The catalogue is available in electronic form athttp://dipastro.pd.astro.it/galletta/ismcat and at the CDS via anonymousftp to\ cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via\http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/405/5
| The intrinsic emission of Seyfert galaxies observed with BeppoSAX/PDS. I. Comparison of the average spectra of the three classes of Seyfert galaxies
We present a study of the hard X-ray spectrum (>15 keV) of differentclasses of Seyfert galaxies observed with BeppoSAX/PDS. Using hard X-raydata, we avoid absorption effects modifying the Seyfert emission andhave direct access to the central engine of these sources. The aim ofthis study is first to characterize the general properties of the hardX-ray spectrum of Seyfert 1, 1.5 and 2 galaxies and secondly to comparetheir intrinsic emission to test unified models according to which allthe classes have the same nucleus.\ We compute the average spectrum of14 Sy 1, 9 Sy 1.5 and 22 Sy 2 galaxies observed by the PDS (15-136 keV).The average spectrum of Sy 1 differs from that of Sy 2, the firstrequiring the presence of a high energy cutoff which is absent in thesecond. We also show that the reflection component is possibly moreimportant in the Sy 2 emission. The nature of Sy 1.5 galaxies isambiguous as they have a negligible reflection component (like Sy 1) anddo not require a cutoff (like Sy 2).
| Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of the Circumnuclear Environments of the CfA Seyfert Galaxies: Nuclear Spirals and Fueling
We present archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of the nuclearregions of 43 of the 46 Seyfert galaxies found in the volume-limited,spectroscopically complete CfA Redshift Survey sample. Using an improvedmethod of image contrast enhancement, we create detailed high-quality``structure maps'' that allow us to study the distributions of dust,star clusters, and emission-line gas in the circumnuclear regions(100-1000 pc scales) and in the associated host galaxy. Essentially allof these Seyfert galaxies have circumnuclear dust structures withmorphologies ranging from grand-design two-armed spirals to chaoticdusty disks. In most Seyfert galaxies there is a clear physicalconnection between the nuclear dust spirals on hundreds of parsec scalesand large-scale bars and spiral arms in the host galaxies proper. Theseconnections are particularly striking in the interacting and barredgalaxies. Such structures are predicted by numerical simulations of gasflows in barred and interacting galaxies and may be related to thefueling of active galactic nuclei by matter inflow from the host galaxydisks. We see no significant differences in the circumnuclear dustmorphologies of Seyfert 1s and 2s, and very few Seyfert 2 nuclei areobscured by large-scale dust structures in the host galaxies. If Seyfert2s are obscured Seyfert 1s, then the obscuration must occur on smallerscales than those probed by HST. Based on observations made with theNASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the data archive at theSpace Telescope Science Institute. STScI is operated by the Associationof Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under the NASA contractNAS 5-26555.
| Far-Infrared Census of Starburst-Seyfert Connection
Far-infrared flux densities are newly extracted from the IRAS databasefor the Revised Shapley-Ames and CfA complete samples of Seyfertgalaxies. These data are used to classify the Seyfert galaxies intothose where the far-infrared continuum emission is dominated by theactive galactic nucleus (AGN), circumnuclear starburst, or host galaxy.While AGN-dominant objects consist of comparable numbers of Seyfert 1and 2 galaxies, starburst- and host-dominant objects consistpreferentially of Seyfert 2 galaxies. Thus, in addition to the dustytorus, the circumnuclear starburst region and host galaxy are importantin hiding the broad-line region. Morphologically, starburst-dominantSeyfert galaxies are of later types and more strongly interacting thanAGN-dominant Seyfert galaxies. In a later type galaxy, the AGN centralengine has a lower Eddington luminosity, and the gaseous content ishigher. The gas is efficiently supplied to the starburst via agalaxy-galaxy interaction. Morphologies of host-dominant Seyfertgalaxies are of various types. Since starbursts in Seyfert galaxies areolder than those in classical starburst galaxies, we propose anevolution from starburst to starburst-dominant Seyfert to host-dominantSeyfert for a late-type galaxy. An evolution from AGN-dominant Seyfertto host-dominant Seyfert is proposed for an early-type galaxy. Thesesequences have durations of a few times 108 yr and occurrepeatedly within a galaxy during its evolution from a late type to anearly type.
| The BeppoSAX view of bright Compton-thin Seyfert 2 galaxies
We present the analysis of 31 observations (17 of which are publishedhere for the first time) of 20 bright Compton thin Seyfert 2 s, in the0.1-200 keV band, performed with the BeppoSAX satellite. The sampleconsists of all Seyfert 2 s in the BeppoSAX public archive, with a 2-10keV flux higher than 5*E-12 erg cm-2s-1. The good statistics available and the broad energy bandpermit a detailed study of the main continuum components of thesesources, i.e. the primary power-law, the reflected component, the softemission and the high-energy cut-off. The main results of our analysisare: (1) the 3-200 keV intrinsic power-law has a mean photon index Gamma= 1.79 +/- 0.01, with a dispersion of sigma =0.23. (2) The high-energyexponential cut-off at E ~ 100-300 keV is not an ubiquitous property ofSeyfert galaxies: in ~ 30% of the objects the continuum power-law doesnot drop up to energies of 300 keV or more. (3) A reflected component ispresent in almost all the sources (17 out of 21). The small variationsof this component with respect to the intrinsic continuum, in objectswith multiple observations, suggests that the reflector is not theaccretion disk, but must be located much farther from the nucleus. (4)The range of ratios between the reflected and intrinsic componentssuggests that the circumnuclear medium is not homogeneous, and asignificant fraction of the solid angle is covered by a gas thicker thanthat along the line of sight. (5) The iron Kalpha line is present is allbut one the sources. The equivalent width is in the typical range ofSeyfert 1 s (EW=100-300 eV) in sources with low absorption(NH < 3x 1023 cm-2), and increasesin more absorbed objects, as expected according to unified models. (6)The energy resolution of BeppoSAX is in general too low to measure theiron line width. However, in 6 cases we measured a significant linebroadening.
| Hubble Space Telescope Observations of the CfA Seyfert 2 Galaxies: Near-Infrared Surface Photometry and Nuclear Bars
We present near-infrared J and H surface photometry of 24 of the nearbySeyfert 1.8, 1.9, and 2 galaxies from the CfA Seyfert sample. Theexcellent angular resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope probesspatial scales as small as tens of parsecs in most of these activegalactic nuclei (AGNs) and is sensitive to the presence of nuclear barsand other potential signatures of the AGN fueling process that channelshost galaxy gas and dust to the nuclear region. We have used ellipticalisophote techniques to search for nuclear bars in all of these galaxiesand have employed a two-dimensional fitting technique to model thenuclear point source and surface brightness distribution of a brightsubsample of these galaxies in an attempt to alleviate the impact of thenuclear point source on our sensitivity to nuclear bars. We find stellarnuclear bar candidates in four of these galaxies: Mrk 471, Mrk 270, Mrk573, and NGC 5929, nearly 20% of the total sample. The percentage risesto ~30% when systems with disturbed morphologies or high inclinationsare excluded. The nuclear bars in Mrk 573 and Mrk 270 exhibit someevidence for dust lanes along their leading edges, analogous to thestructures seen in host galaxy bars, while the dust lanes in Mrk 471 andNGC 5929 exhibit a more complex morphology. The fact that most of theseAGNs do not appear to contain stellar nuclear bars suggests that theyare not the fueling mechanism for most low-luminosity AGNs. Based onobservations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained at theSpace Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Associationof Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contractNAS5-26555.
| Nuclear Luminosities and Radio Loudness of Seyfert Nuclei
Historically, Seyfert nuclei have been considered to be radio-quietactive galactic nuclei (AGNs). We question this widely held assumptionby showing that the distribution of the radio-to-optical luminosityratio, R≡Lν(6 cm)/Lν(B), when properlymeasured for the nuclear component, places the majority of type 1Seyfert nuclei in the category of radio-loud AGNs, defined here asobjects with R>=10. This result is further strengthened by strongcorrelations found between radio power and optical continuum andemission-line luminosities, as has been established previously for morepowerful AGNs. We also present a new calibration of the relation betweenoptical continuum and Balmer emission-line luminosities valid in theregime of low-luminosity AGNs.
| The Multitude of Unresolved Continuum Sources at 1.6 Microns in Hubble Space Telescope Images of Seyfert Galaxies
We examine 112 Seyfert galaxies observed by the Hubble Space Telescopeat 1.6 μm. We find that ~50% of the Seyfert 2.0 galaxies which arepart of the Revised Shapely-Ames (RSA) Catalog or the CfA redshiftsample contain unresolved continuum sources at 1.6 μm. All but acouple of the Seyfert 1.0-1.9 galaxies display unresolved continuumsources. The unresolved sources have fluxes of order 1 mJy,near-infrared luminosities of order 1041 ergs s-1,and absolute magnitudes MH~-16. Comparison non-Seyfertgalaxies from the RSA Catalog display significantly fewer (~20%),somewhat lower luminosity nuclear sources, which could be due to compactstar clusters. We find that the luminosities of the unresolved Seyfert1.0-1.9 sources at 1.6 μm are correlated with [O III] λ5007and hard X-ray luminosities, implying that these sources are nonstellar.Assuming a spectral energy distribution similar to that of a Seyfert 2galaxy, we estimate that a few percent of local spiral galaxies containblack holes emitting as Seyferts at a moderate fraction,~10-1-10-4, of their Eddington luminosities. Wefind no strong correlation between 1.6 μm fluxes and hard X-ray or [OIII] λ5007 fluxes for the pure Seyfert 2.0 galaxies. Thesegalaxies also tend to have lower 1.6 μm luminosities compared to theSeyfert 1.0-1.9 galaxies of similar [O III] luminosity. Either largeextinctions (AV~20-40) are present toward theircontinuum-emitting regions or some fraction of the unresolved sources at1.6 μm are compact star clusters. With increasing Seyfert type thefraction of unresolved sources detected at 1.6 μm and the ratio of1.6 μm to [O III] fluxes tend to decrease. These trends areconsistent with the unification model for Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies.
| Using Hubble Space Telescope images to identify straight segments in galaxy nuclear spirals
This Letter reports the discovery of straight segments of nuclear spiralarms. Hubble Space Telescope images of Seyfert galaxies are used. Themorphology of the straight features on scales of few hundred parsecsproves to be similar to the morphology of disc-wide polygonal spiralsand rings. This suggests that the straight structures on both nuclearand disc scales may have a common physical nature.
| Testing the AGN-Starburst Connection in Seyfert Galaxies
We use the CO band at 2.3 μm to constrain the populations of youngstars in the central regions of Seyfert galaxies. We report new CO bandspectroscopy of 46 Seyfert galaxies. In most cases, the observed COindices appear diluted by the presence of a nonstellar component (mostlikely, warm dust surrounding the active nucleus). We used JHKL aperturephotometry to estimate the nonstellar contribution at 2.3 μm. Wesuccessfully corrected the CO band for the dilution for 16 galaxieswhich were not dominated by the nonstellar component. Comparing with COindices measured in elliptical and purely starbursting galaxies, we findno evidence for strong starbursts in the majority of these galaxies.
| A Subarcsecond Resolution Near-Infrared Study of Seyfert and ``Normal'' Galaxies. II. Morphology
We present a detailed study of the bar fraction in the CfA sample ofSeyfert galaxies and in a carefully selected control sample of nonactivegalaxies to investigate the relation between the presence of bars and ofnuclear activity. To avoid the problems related to bar classification inthe Third Reference Catalogue (RC3), e.g., subjectivity, low resolution,and contamination by dust, we have developed an objective barclassification method, which we conservatively apply to our newsubarcsecond resolution near-infrared (NIR) imaging data set discussedin the first paper in this series. We are able to use stringent criteriabased on radial profiles of ellipticity and major axis position angle todetermine the presence of a bar and its axial ratio. Concentrating onnoninteracting galaxies in our sample for which morphologicalinformation can be obtained, we find that Seyfert hosts are barred moreoften (79%+/-7.5%) than the nonactive galaxies in our control sample(59%+/-9%), a result which is at the ~2.5 σ significance level.The fraction of nonaxisymmetric hosts becomes even larger wheninteracting galaxies are taken into account. We discuss the implicationsof this result for the fueling of central activity by large-scale bars.This paper improves on previous work by means of imaging at higherspatial resolution and by the use of a set of stringent criteria for barpresence and confirms that the use of NIR is superior to optical imagingfor detection of bars in disk galaxies.
| Relationship between Infrared and Radio Emission of Seyfert Galaxies
The relationships between the monochromatic luminosity of Seyfertgalaxies at frequencies of 0.408, 1.49, and 4.85 GHz and the integratedluminosity in the far infrared (IR) range are investigated. At all radiofrequencies they are linear and equally close. Some Seyfert galaxies, ofmorphological types S0/a, E, and S0, have a far higher radio luminositythan Seyfert spiral galaxies with the same IR luminosity. Most of themare found to have compact central radio components. Seyfert spiralgalaxies follow the same relationship between radio and IR emission asnon-Seyfert spiral galaxies. The relationships between radio and IRluminosity for the individual groups of galaxies of spectral types Sy1-Sy 1.5 and Sy 1.8-Sy 2 are also linear.
| A CCD Study of the Environment of Seyfert Galaxies. III. Host Galaxies and the Nearby Environments
A technique is described that permits the robust decomposition of thebulge and disk components of a sample of Seyfert galaxies, as well as a(control) sample of nonactive galaxies matched to the Seyferts in thedistributions of redshift, luminosity, and morphological classification.The structural parameters of the host galaxies in both samples aremeasured. No statistically significant differences at greater than the95% level are found in these parameters according to aKolmogorov-Smirnov test. ``Companion galaxies''-defined as any galaxywithin a projected separation of 200 h-1 kpc from the centerof the host-are identified and their basic properties measured. Acomparison between the active and control samples in the distributionsof apparent R magnitude, absolute R magnitude (assuming the companionsare at the distance of the host), projected separation from the host,position angle relative to the host, magnitude difference between thecompanion and host, and strength of the tidal parameter shows nostatistically significant differences. Similarly, no statisticallysignificant differences are found between the control and active samplehost galaxies in terms of light asymmetries-bars, rings, isophotaltwisting, etc. The implications for a model in which interactions andmergers are responsible for inciting activity in galactic nuclei arediscussed briefly.
| High-Ionization Nuclear Emission-Line Region of Seyfert Galaxies
Recently, Murayama & Taniguchi proposed that a significant part ofthe high-ionization nuclear emission-line region (HINER) in Seyfertnuclei arises from the inner wall of dusty tori because type 1 Seyfertnuclei (S1s) show excess HINER emission with respect to type 2 Seyfertnuclei (S2s). This means that the radiation from the HINER isanisotropic, and thus statistical properties of the HINER emission canbe used to investigate the viewing angle toward dusty tori for varioustypes of Seyfert nuclei. In order to investigate viewing angles towardnarrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) and intermediate types of Seyfertgalaxies (i.e., type 1.5, 1.8, and 1.9 Seyfert galaxies, hereafter S1.5,S1.8, and S1.9, respectively), we apply this HINER test to them. We alsoapply the same test for S2s with and without the hidden broad-lineregion. The sample of Seyfert nuclei analyzed here consists of 124Seyfert nuclei compiled from the literature. Our main results andsuggestions are as follows: (1) The NLS1s are viewed more face-on towarddusty tori than the S2s. However, the HINER properties of the NLS1s areindistinguishable from those of the S1s. (2) The S1.5s appear to composeheterogeneous populations; e.g., (a) some of them may be seen from anintermediate viewing angle between S1s and S2s, (b) some S1.5s arebasically S1s but a significant part of the broad-line region (BLR)emission is accidentally obscured by dense, clumpy gas clouds, or (c)some S1.5s are basically S2s, but a part of the BLR emission can be seenfrom some optically thin regions of the dusty torus. (3) The S1.8s, theS1.9s, and the objects showing either a broad Paβ line or polarizedbroad Balmer lines are seen from a large inclination angle, and theemission from the BLRs of such objects reaches us through optically thinparts of dusty tori. These three results support strongly the currentunified model of Seyfert nuclei. Finally, (4) the line ratios of [Fe X]λ6374 to the low-ionization emission lines are rather moreisotropic than those of [Fe VII] λ6087. Therefore, it issuggested that the [Fe X] λ6374 emission is not useful forinvestigating the viewing angle toward the dusty torus in Seyfertnuclei. The most plausible reason seems to be that the [Fe X]λ6374 emission is spatially extended, and thus its strength tendsto show less viewing-angle dependence.
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