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Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy to Confirm or Disprove Dual Active Galactic Nuclei

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2014

Rosalie C. McGurk
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department and UCO-Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA, Postbus 80000, NL-3508TA, Utrecht, the Netherlands email: rmcgurk@ucsc.edu, max@ucolick.org
Claire E. Max
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department and UCO-Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA, Postbus 80000, NL-3508TA, Utrecht, the Netherlands email: rmcgurk@ucsc.edu, max@ucolick.org
Anne Medling
Affiliation:
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston Creek, ACT 2611, Australia email: anne.medling@anu.edu.au
Gregory A. Shields
Affiliation:
Astronomy Department, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; email: shieldsga@mail.utexas.edu
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Abstract

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When galaxies merge, gas accretes onto both central supermassive black holes. Thus, one expects to see dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in a fraction of galaxy mergers. Candidates for galaxies containing dual AGNs have been identified by the presence of double-peaked narrow [O III] emission lines and by high spatial resolution images of close galaxy pairs. 30% of double-peaked narrow [OIII] emission line SDSS AGNs have two spatial components within a 3″ radius. However, spatially resolved spectroscopy is needed to confirm these galaxy pairs as systems with double AGNs. With the Keck 2 Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics system and the OSIRIS near-infrared integral field spectrograph, we obtained spatially resolved spectra for SDSS J095207.62+255257.2, confirming that it contains a Type 1 and a Type 2 AGN separated by 4.8 kpc (=1.0″). We performed similar integral field and long-slit spectroscopy observations of more spatially separated candidate dual AGNs and will report on the varied results. By assessing what fraction of radio-quiet double-peaked emission line SDSS AGNs are true dual AGNs, we can better constrain the statistics of dual AGNs and characterize physical conditions throughout these interacting AGNs.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014 

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