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Local and Large-Scale Environment of Seyfert Galaxies
We present a three-dimensional study of the local (<=100h-1 kpc) and the large-scale (<=1 h-1 Mpc)environment of the two main types of Seyfert AGN galaxies. For thispurpose we use 48 Seyfert 1 galaxies (with redshifts in the range0.007<=z<=0.036) and 56 Seyfert 2 galaxies (with0.004<=z<=0.020), located at high galactic latitudes, as well astwo control samples of nonactive galaxies having the same morphological,redshift, and diameter size distributions as the corresponding Seyfertsamples. Using the Center for Astrophysics (CfA2) and Southern SkyRedshift Survey (SSRS) galaxy catalogs (mB~15.5) and our ownspectroscopic observations (mB~18.5), we find that within aprojected distance of 100 h-1 kpc and a radial velocityseparation of δv<~600 km s-1 around each of ourAGNs, the fraction of Seyfert 2 galaxies with a close neighbor issignificantly higher than that of their control (especially within 75h-1 kpc) and Seyfert 1 galaxy samples, confirming a previoustwo-dimensional analysis of Dultzin-Hacyan et al. We also find that thelarge-scale environment around the two types of Seyfert galaxies doesnot vary with respect to their control sample galaxies. However, theSeyfert 2 and control galaxy samples do differ significantly whencompared to the corresponding Seyfert 1 samples. Since the maindifference between these samples is their morphological typedistribution, we argue that the large-scale environmental differencecannot be attributed to differences in nuclear activity but rather totheir different type of host galaxies.
| 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.
| Correlations among multiwavelength luminosities of star-forming galaxies
It has been known for two decades that a tight correlation existsbetween global far-infrared (FIR) and radio continuum (1.4 and 4.8 GHz)fluxes/luminosities from star-forming galaxies, which may be explainedby formation activities of massive stars in these galaxies. For thisvery reason, a correlation might also exist between X-ray and FIR/radioglobal luminosities of galaxies. We analyse data from the ROSAT All-SkySurvey and from IRAS to show that such correlation does indeed existbetween FIR (42.5-122.5μm) and soft X-ray (0.1-2.4 keV) luminositiesLX and LFIR in 17 normal star-forming galaxies(NSFGs), including 16 late-type galaxies and one host-dominant Seyfertgalaxy, as well as in 14 active star-forming galaxies (ASFGs) consistingof starburst-dominant Seyfert galaxies. The quantitative difference insuch correlations in NSFGs and in ASFGs may be interpreted in terms ofevolutionary variations from classic starburst galaxies tostarburst-dominant Seyfert galaxies. Meanwhile, some low-luminosityactive galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) tend to exhibit such a correlation thatwe infer for star-forming galaxies, implying that star-formingactivities might be more dominant in LLAGNs. In contrast, AGN-dominantSeyfert galaxies do not show such a LX versus LFIRcorrelation; this is most likely related to accretions towardssupermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galactic nuclei. In order toestablish a physical connection between theLX-LFIR correlation and global star formation rate(SFR) in galaxies, we empirically derive bothLX-LB and LFIR-LB relationswith the blue-band luminosity LB roughly representing themass of a galaxy. It appears that the more massive galaxies are, themore star formation regions exist in these galaxies. The global SFR isnot only associated with the mass of a galaxy but also closely relatedto the level of star-forming activities therein. We propose a relationbetween soft X-ray luminosity and SFR in star-forming galaxies. In orderto probe the LX-LFIR relation, we construct anempirical model in which both FIR and X-ray emissions consist of twocomponents with one being closely associated with star formation and theother one not. Based on this model, we infer a linear relation betweenFIR/soft X-ray in star formation regions and radio luminosities, and geta linear relation between LX and LFIR forstar-forming regions.
| The Hubble Space Telescope View of LINER Nuclei: Evidence for a Dual Population?
We study a complete, distance-limited sample of 25 LINERs, 21 of whichhave been imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope. In nine objects wedetect an unresolved nucleus. To study their physical properties, wecompare the radio and optical properties of the nuclei of LINERs withthose of other samples of local active galactic nuclei (AGNs), namely,Seyfert galaxies and low-luminosity radio galaxies (LLRGs). Our resultsshow that the LINER population is not homogeneous, as there are twosubclasses: (1) the first class is similar to the LLRG class, as itextends the population of radio-loud nuclei to lower luminosities; (2)the second is similar to Seyfert galaxies and extends the properties ofradio-quiet nuclei toward the lowest luminosities. The objects areoptimally discriminated in the plane formed by the black hole massversus nuclear radio loudness: all radio-loud LINERs haveMBH>~108Msolar, while Seyfertgalaxies and radio-quiet LINERs haveMBH<~108Msolar. The different natureof the various classes of local AGNs are best understood when thefraction of the Eddington luminosity they irradiate,Lo/LEdd, is plotted against the nuclearradio-loudness parameter: Seyfert galaxies are associated withrelatively high radiative efficienciesLo/LEdd>~10-4 (and high accretionrates onto low-mass black holes); LLRGs are associated with lowradiative efficiencies (and low accretion rates onto high-mass blackholes); all LINERs have low radiative efficiency (and accretion rates)and can be radio-loud or radio-quiet, depending on their black holemass.Based on observations obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute,which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research inAstronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.
| 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).
| 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.
| Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as a Tracer of Star Formation?
Infrared (IR) emission features at 3.3, 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 μmare generally attributed to IR fluorescence from (mainly)far-ultraviolet (FUV) pumped large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)molecules. As such, these features trace the FUV stellar flux and arethus a measure of star formation. We examined the IR spectralcharacteristics of Galactic massive star-forming regions and of normaland starburst galaxies, as well as active galactic nuclei (AGNs) andultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The goal of this study is toanalyze whether PAH features are a good qualitative and/or quantitativetracer of star formation, and hence to evaluate the application of PAHemission as a diagnostic tool in order to identify the dominantprocesses contributing to the infrared emission from Seyfert galaxiesand ULIRGs. We develop a new mid-infrared (MIR)/far-infrared (FIR)diagnostic diagram based on our Galactic sample and compare it to thediagnostic tools of Genzel and coworkers and Laurent and coworkers, withthese diagnostic tools also applied to our Galactic sample. This MIR/FIRdiagnostic is derived from the FIR normalized 6.2 μm PAH flux and theFIR normalized 6.2 μm continuum flux. Within this diagram, theGalactic sources form a sequence spanning a range of 3 orders ofmagnitude in these ratios, ranging from embedded compact H II regions toexposed photodissociation regions (PDRs) and the (diffuse) interstellarmedium (ISM). However, the variation in the 6.2 μm PAHfeature-to-continuum ratio is relative small. Comparison of ourextragalactic sample with our Galactic sources revealed an excellentresemblance of normal and starburst galaxies to exposed PDRs. WhileSeyfert 2 galaxies coincide with the starburst trend, Seyfert 1 galaxiesare displaced by at least a factor of 10 in 6.2 μm continuum flux, inaccordance with general orientation-dependent unification schemes forAGNs. ULIRGs show a diverse spectral appearance. Some show a typical AGNhot dust continuum. More, however, either are starburst-like or showsigns of strong dust obscuration in the nucleus. One characteristic ofthe ULIRGs also seems to be the presence of more prominent FIR emissionthan either starburst galaxies or AGNs. We discuss the observedvariation in the Galactic sample in view of the evolutionary state andthe PAH/dust abundance and discuss the use of PAHs as quantitativetracers of star formation activity. Based on these investigations, wefind that PAHs may be better suited as a tracer of B stars, whichdominate the Galactic stellar energy budget, than as a tracer of massivestar formation (O stars).
| Structural Evidence for Environment-driven Transformation of the Blue Galaxies in Local Abell Clusters: A85, A496, and A754
We present a detailed comparison of structural properties in therest-frame V band of cluster and field galaxies, selected and analyzedin the same manner, to test the hypothesis that much of the currentcluster galaxy membership resulted from the fairly rapid (1-2 Gyr)transformation of infalling, field spirals into red, cluster earlytypes. Specifically, we have selected ~140 galaxies from three nearbyAbell clusters (A85, A496, and A754) that have colors significantlybluer than the red sequence population and compared them to ~80 fieldgalaxies with similar colors and luminosities from the Nearby FieldGalaxy Survey. The comparison is based on the hypothesis that recent(1-4 Gyr) cluster arrivals were originally blue and star-forming, thenstopped forming stars to dim and redden in a few gigayears. For thecomparison we quantify galaxy internal structure and morphology fromtwo-dimensional bulge/disk decompositions using GIM2D. We observestructural differences between blue galaxies in local (z<0.06)clusters, compared to field environments. All cluster galaxies havespectroscopic membership. The majority of blue cluster members,presumably recent additions, are physically smaller and fainter thantheir equally colored field counterparts. At a matched size andluminosity, the newer cluster arrivals are quantifiably smoother inappearance, yet their total light is as disk dominated as in normalfield spirals. Moreover, half of the blue cluster members appear to haveblue cores or globally blue color profiles, in contrast with fieldspirals, which typically exhibit red inward color gradients. Blue coressuggest enhanced nuclear star formation, possibly a starburst, whileuniformly blue profiles are consistent with an episode of fairly strongglobal star formation in the past few gigayears. Our previous work showsthat the blue membership of local clusters is a recently infallingpopulation that has yet to encounter the dense core. In a universewithout environmentally dependent evolution outside of cluster cores, wewould expect blue disk galaxies inhabiting field and cluster regions tohave similar morphology, size, and color gradient distributions. Ourfindings show conclusively not only that the abundance of red and bluegalaxies depends on environment, but also that fundamental structuraland morphological galaxy properties do indeed reflect the environment inwhich the galaxy is found. Moreover, the data show that thetransformation of accreted galaxies is not confined to the dense clustercore. The overall properties of bluer cluster members are best explainedby environment-driven transformation of accreted field spirals, and ourresults suggest that the processes that govern color and morphologicalevolution occur separately.Observations reported here were obtained at Kitt Peak NationalObservatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operatedby the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.,under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.
| 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
| An Optical Spectroscopic Atlas of Low-Redshift Active Galactic Nuclei
We present a spectral atlas of the Hβ region for 215 type 1 AGNs(luminous Seyfert 1/radio galaxy nuclei and low-z quasars) up to z~0.8.Line profiles and measures were derived from the database ofintermediate resolution spectra (R>~1000) with average continuumlevel S/N ratio ~30. Parameters including rest frame equivalent widthand FWHM are provided for the Fe IIopt blend at λ4570,Hβ, He II λ4686, and the [O III] λλ4959, 5007emission lines. We extract clean broad component Hβ profiles andprovide wavelength measurements at 0, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 0.9 peakintensity levels in order to permit a quantitative definition of theHβ broad component for statistical studies. We also discuss sourcesof uncertainty, selection effects, and biases in our sample. The dataare especially important for tests of the eigenvector 1 parameter spaceoccupation and correlation. We show that the I Zw 1 template FeIIopt spectrum reproduces well the observed FeIIopt emission for a wide range of line width and strength. Adetailed analysis of the data within the eigenvector 1 context isdeferred to a companion paper.Based in part on data collected at ESO La Silla.
| The Unified Model and Evolution of Active Galaxies: Implications from a Spectropolarimetric Study
We extend the analysis presented in Paper I of a spectropolarimetricsurvey of the CfA and 12 μm samples of Seyfert 2 galaxies (S2s). Weconfirm that polarized (hidden) broad-line region (HBLR) S2s tend tohave hotter circumnuclear dust temperatures, show mid-IR spectra morecharacteristic of Seyfert 1 galaxies (S1s), and are intrinsically moreluminous than non-HBLR S2s. The levels of obscuration and circumnuclearstar formation, however, appear to be similar between HBLR and non-HBLRS2 galaxies, based on an examination of various observationalindicators. HBLR S2s, on average, share many similar large-scale,presumably isotropic, characteristics with S1s, as would be expected ifthe unified model is correct, while non-HBLR S2s generally do not. Theactive nuclear engines of non-HBLR S2s, then, appear to be truly weakerthan HBLR S2s, which in turn are fully consistent with being S1s viewedfrom another direction. There is also evidence that the fraction ofdetected HBLRs increases with the radio power of the active galacticnucleus. Thus, all S2 galaxies may not be intrinsically similar innature, and we speculate that evolutionary processes may be at work.
| 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.
| The Hamburg/RASS Catalogue of optical identifications. Northern high-galactic latitude ROSAT Bright Source Catalogue X-ray sources
We present the Hamburg/RASS Catalogue (HRC) of optical identificationsof X-ray sources at high-galactic latitude. The HRC includes all X-raysources from the ROSAT Bright Source Catalogue (RASS-BSC) with galacticlatitude |b| >=30degr and declination delta >=0degr . In thispart of the sky covering ~ 10 000 deg2 the RASS-BSC contains5341 X-ray sources. For the optical identification we used blue Schmidtprism and direct plates taken for the northern hemisphere Hamburg QuasarSurvey (HQS) which are now available in digitized form. The limitingmagnitudes are 18.5 and 20, respectively. For 82% of the selectedRASS-BSC an identification could be given. For the rest either nocounterpart was visible in the error circle or a plausibleidentification was not possible. With ~ 42% AGN represent the largestgroup of X-ray emitters, ~ 31% have a stellar counterpart, whereasgalaxies and cluster of galaxies comprise only ~ 4% and ~ 5%,respectively. In ~ 3% of the RASS-BSC sources no object was visible onour blue direct plates within 40\arcsec around the X-ray sourceposition. The catalogue is used as a source for the selection of(nearly) complete samples of the various classes of X-ray emitters.
| JHK' Imaging Photometry of Seyfert 1 Active Galactic Nuclei and Quasars. II. Observation of Long-Term Variability
Observations of 226 AGNs in the near-infrared J, H, and K' bands arepresented along with the analysis of the observations for variability.Our sample consists mainly of Seyfert 1 AGNs and QSOs. About a quarterof the objects in each category are radio loud. The AGNs in the entiresample have the redshifts spanning the range from z=0 to 1, and theabsolute magnitudes from MB=-29 to -18. All the objects wereobserved twice, and their variability was measured by differentialphotometry. A reduction method of differential photometry, optimized tothe analysis of extended images, has been developed. The systematicerror in variability arising from AGNs of highly extended images isestimated to be less than 0.01 mag in each of the J, H, and K' bands.The systematic error arising from the flat-fielding is negligible formost AGNs, although it is more than 0.1 mag for some particular cases.The overall average flat-fielding error is 0.03 mag for the image pairs.We find that these systematic errors are superseded by statisticalerrors, and the overall average total systematic and statistical errorsamounts to 0.05 mag in the measured variability in each band. We findthat 58% of all the AGNs in the entire sample show variability of morethan 2 σ, and 44% of more than 3 σ. This result holdsindependent of the J, H, and K' bands. The detection rate of variabilityis higher for a subsample of higher photometric accuracy, and thereappears no limit to this tendency. In particular, when we consider asubsample with small photometric errors of σ<0.03 mag, the rateof 2 σ detection is 80%, and 64% for 3 σ detection. Thissuggests that most AGNs are variable in the near-infrared.
| JHK' Imaging Photometry of Seyfert 1 Active Galactic Nuclei and Quasars. I. Multiaperture Photometry
Near-infrared JHK' imaging photometry was obtained of 331 AGNsconsisting mainly of Seyfert 1 active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and quasars(QSOs). This sample was selected to cover a range of radio emissionstrength, redshift from z=0 to 1, and absolute B magnitude fromMB=-29 mag to -18 mag. Among low-z AGNs with z<0.3,Seyfert 1-1.5 AGNs are distributed over a region from a location typicalof ``galaxies'' to a location typical of ``QSOs'' in the two-color J-Hto H-K' diagram, but Seyfert 1.8-2 AGNs are distributed around thelocation of ``galaxies.'' Moreover, bright AGNs with respect to absoluteB magnitude are distributed near the location of ``QSOs,'' while faintAGNs are near the location of ``galaxies.'' The distribution of suchlow-z AGNs in this diagram was found to have little dependence on their6 cm radio flux. The near-infrared colors of the AGNs observed with anaperture of 7 pixels (7.49") are more QSO-like than those observed withlarger apertures up to 15 pixels (16.1"). This aperture effect may beexplained by contamination from the light of host galaxies within largerapertures. This effect is more prominent for less luminous AGNs.
| The Relation between Mid-Infrared Emission and Black Hole Mass in Active Galactic Nuclei: A Direct Way to Probe Black Hole Growth?
We use a large, heterogeneous sample of local active galactic nuclei(AGNs) that includes Seyfert 1 galaxies, Seyfert 2 galaxies, andPalomar-Green quasars to investigate for the first time the relationbetween black hole mass (MBH) and mid-infrared nuclearemission. We find a clear relation between MBH and 10 μmnuclear luminosity for these local AGNs. There are no significantdifferences between type 1 and type 2 objects, implying that thereprocessing of the 10 μm nuclear emission is not severely affectedby geometric and optical depth effects. We also confirm thatMBH is related to the 2-10 keV X-ray luminosity, but only forCompton-thin galaxies. We present a theoretical basis for theseempirical relations and discuss possible reasons for the observedscatter. Our results show that rest-frame 10 μm and hard X-rayluminosities (especially the former, which is applicable to all AGNtypes) can be powerful tools for conducting a census of BH masses athigh redshift and for probing their cosmological evolution.
| 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.
| H II Regions and Diffuse Ionized Gas in 11 Nearby Spiral Galaxies
We present robust decompositions of the diffuse and discrete componentsof ionized hydrogen in a sample of 11 nearby spiral galaxies, spanning awide range of star formation rate and Hubble type. Traditionally, H IIregion populations have been interpreted through power-law fits of theHα luminosity function (H II LF). Here we instead compare themeasured H II LF directly with predictions of population synthesismodels over the entire range of completeness. In our modeling contextthe cluster membership function (CMF), defined as the numberdistribution of stars per cluster over an entire galaxy, is a principalparameter. The CMF was assumed to be a truncated power law, excludingthe formation of stellar clusters initially composed of more than106 (or 103) stars with M>1 Msolar. Weconclude that (1) the best-fitting power-law slopes of the CMF varybetween -1.75 and -2.00, (2) there is no evidence for an upper limit tothe CMF as small as 103, and (3) there is evidence for atruncated initial mass function (at M>10 Msolar) in sparselypopulated clusters. Furthermore, our H II luminosity functions do notshow a glitch attributable to a categorical luminosity-dependenttransition between density-bounded and radiation-bounded H II regions.This negative result casts doubt on the reality of a ``Strömgrenluminosity'' feature recently reported by Beckman et al. The diffusefraction for spiral galaxies is generally about 0.45 and shows noperceptible variation with Hubble type or star formation rate,consistent with previous studies. Finally, we have explored theconsequences of varying physical resolution and sensitivity and concludethat intergalaxy comparisons are most meaningful once these have beenequalized.
| The UZC-SSRS2 Group Catalog
We apply a friends-of-friends algorithm to the combined Updated ZwickyCatalog and Southern Sky Redshift Survey to construct a catalog of 1168groups of galaxies; 411 of these groups have five or more members withinthe redshift survey. The group catalog covers 4.69 sr, and all groupsexceed the number density contrast threshold, δρ/ρ=80. Wedemonstrate that the groups catalog is homogeneous across the twounderlying redshift surveys; the catalog of groups and their membersthus provides a basis for other statistical studies of the large-scaledistribution of groups and their physical properties. The medianphysical properties of the groups are similar to those for groupsderived from independent surveys, including the ESO Key Programme andthe Las Campanas Redshift Survey. We include tables of groups and theirmembers.
| 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.
| On the Linearity of the Black Hole-Bulge Mass Relation in Active and in Nearby Galaxies
Analysis of (Palomar-Green) PG quasar observations suggests a nonlinearrelation between the black hole mass, MBH, and the bulgemass, Mbulge, although a linear relation, as proposed fornearby galaxies, cannot be ruled out. New MBH values fornearby galaxies from K. Gebhardt et al., and Lbulgemeasurements for Seyfert 1 galaxies from S. N. Virani et al., are usedhere to obtain a more accurate value for the slope of theMBH-Mbulge relation. The combined sample of 40active and nonactive galaxies suggests a significantly nonlinearrelation, MBH~M1.53+/-0.14bulge.Further support for a nonlinear relation is provided by the slope of theMBH-stellar velocity dispersion relation found recently, andby the low MBH found in late-type spiral galaxies. The meanMBH/Mbulge ratio is therefore not a universalconstant, but rather drops from ~0.5% in bright (MV~-22)ellipticals to ~0.05% in low-luminosity (MV~-18) bulges.Hubble Space Telescope determinations of MBH in late-typespirals, and of the bulge magnitude in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies(both predicted to have low MBH), can further test thevalidity of the nonlinear MBH-Mbulge relation.
| 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.
| The Narrow-Line Region of Seyfert Galaxies: Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies versus Broad-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies
It is known that the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the nuclearradiation of narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1's) has differentshapes with respect to that of ordinary broad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies(BLS1's) particularly in X-ray wavelengths. This may cause somedifferences in the ionization degree and the temperature of gas innarrow-line regions (NLRs) between NLS1's and BLS1's This paper aims toexamine whether or not there are such differences in the physicalconditions of NLR gas between them. For this purpose, we have compiledthe emission-line ratios of 36 NLS1's and 83 BLS1's from the literature.Comparing these two samples, we have found that the line ratios of [O I]λ6300/[O III] λ5007 and [O III] λ4363/[O III]λ5007, which represent the ionization degree and the gastemperature respectively, are statistically indistinguishable betweenNLS1's and BLS1's. Based on new photoionization model calculations, weshow that these results are not inconsistent with the difference of theSED between them. The influence of the difference of SEDs on the highlyionized emission lines is also briefly discussed.
| Surface Density of Bright, Active Extragalactic Objects
A new sample of local, active extragalactic objects has been compiled: acombined sample that is the sum of two samples, of Sy1 galaxies and ofquasars from Markarian's survey and quasars from the Bright QuasarSurvey. A log N(B)-B relation is constructed for the new sample ofactive galaxies, limited to the apparent stellar magnitude B = 15 m .5.It can be represented by a straight line with a slope = 0.60 ±0.06. It is a good extension, without a noticeable jog, of the analogousrelationship for the HamburgESO survey, which has a slope = 0.59± 0.04. The combined surface density of bright active galaxiesand quasars down to B = 15 m .5 is 0.01 per square degree.
| Soft X-ray properties of a spectroscopically selected sample of interacting and isolated Seyfert galaxies
We present a catalogue of ROSAT detected sources in the sample ofspectroscopically selected Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies of Rafanelliet al. (\cite{Rafanelli95}). The catalogue contains 102 Seyfert 1 and 36Seyfert 2 galaxies. The identification is based on X-ray contour mapsoverlaid on optical images taken from the Digitized Sky Survey. We havederived the basic spectral and timing properties of the X-ray detectedSeyfert galaxies. For Seyfert 1 galaxies a strong correlation betweenphoton index and X-ray luminosity is detected. We confirm the presenceof generally steeper X-ray continua in narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies(NLS1s) compared to broad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. Seyfert 2 galaxiesshow photon indices similar to those of NLS1s. Whereas a tendency for anincreasing X-ray luminosity with increasing interaction strength isfound for Seyfert 1 galaxies, such a correlation is not found forSeyfert 2 galaxies. For Seyfert 1 galaxies we found also a strongcorrelation for increasing far-infrared luminosity with increasinginteraction strength. Both NLS1s and Seyfert 2 galaxies show the highestvalues of far-infrared luminosity compared to Seyfert 1 galaxies,suggesting that NLS1s and Seyfert 2 galaxies host strong (circumnuclear)star formation. For variable Seyfert galaxies we present the X-ray lightcurves obtained from the ROSAT All-Sky Survey and from ROSAT PSPC andHRI pointed observations. Besides the expected strong short- andlong-term X-ray variability in Seyfert 1 galaxies, we find indicationsfor X-ray flux variations in Seyfert 2 galaxies. All overlays can beretrieved via CDS anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5)}or via http://cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/cgi-bin/qcat?J/A+A/368/797
| Stellar indices and kinematics in Seyfert 1 nuclei
We present spectra of six type 1 and two type 2 Seyfert galaxies, astarburst galaxy and a compact narrow-line radio galaxy, taken in twospectral ranges centred around the near-infrared Caii triplet(~8600Å), and the Mgb stellar feature at 5180Å. We measuredthe equivalent widths (EWs) of these features and the Fe52and Fe53 spectral indices. We found that the strength of theinfrared Caii triplet (CaT) in type 1 Seyfert galaxies with prominentcentral point sources is larger than what would be expected from theobserved strength of the blue indices. This could be explained by thepresence of red supergiants in the nuclei of Seyfert 1 galaxies. On theother hand, the blue indices of these galaxies could also be diluted bythe strong Feii multiplets that can be seen in their spectra. We havealso measured the stellar- and gas-velocity dispersions of the galaxiesin the sample. The stellar velocity dispersions were measured using boththe Mgb and CaT stellar features. The velocity dispersion of the gas inthe narrow-line region (NLR) was measured using the strong emissionlines [Oiii] λλ5007, 4959 and [Siii] λ9069. Wecompare the gas- and star-velocity dispersions and find that themagnitudes of both are correlated in Seyfert galaxies. Most of theSeyfert 1 galaxies that we observe have stellar-velocity dispersionssomewhat greater than that of the gas in the NLR.
| Spectrophotometry of Nearby Field Galaxies: The Data
We have obtained integrated and nuclear spectra as well as U, B, Rsurface photometry for a representative sample of 196 nearby galaxies.These galaxies span the entire Hubble sequence in morphological type, aswell as a wide range of luminosities (MB=-14 to -22). Here wepresent the spectrophotometry for these galaxies. The selection of thesample and the U, B, R surface photometry is described in a companionpaper. Our goals for the project include measuring the current starformation rates and metallicities of these galaxies, and elucidatingtheir star formation histories, as a function of luminosity andmorphology. We thereby extend the work of Kennicutt to lower luminositysystems. We anticipate that our study will be useful as a benchmark forstudies of galaxies at high redshift. We describe the observing, datareduction, and calibration techniques and demonstrate that ourspectrophotometry agrees well with that of Kennicutt. The spectra spanthe range 3550-7250 Å at a resolution (FWHM) of ~6 Å andhave an overall relative spectrophotometric accuracy of ~+/-6%. Wepresent a spectrophotometric atlas of integrated and nuclear rest-framespectra as well as tables of equivalent widths and synthetic colors. Theatlas and tables of measurements will be made available electronically.We study the correlations of galaxy properties determined from thespectra and images. Our findings include: (1) galaxies of a givenmorphological class display a wide range of continuum shapes andemission-line strengths if a broad range of luminosities are considered,(2) emission-line strengths tend to increase and continua tend to getbluer as the luminosity decreases, and (3) the scatter on the generalcorrelation between nuclear and integrated Hα emission-linestrengths is large.
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