Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Chandra observations of galaxy zoo mergers
View graph of relations

Chandra observations of galaxy zoo mergers: frequency of binary active nuclei in massive mergers

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • Stacy H. Teng
  • Kevin Schawinski
  • C. Megan Urry
  • Dan W. Darg
  • Sugata Kaviraj
  • Kyuseok Oh
  • Erin W. Bonning
  • Carolin N. Cardamone
  • William C. Keel
  • Chris J. Lintott
  • Brooke D. Simmons
  • Ezequiel Treister
Close
Article number165
<mark>Journal publication date</mark>10/07/2012
<mark>Journal</mark>The Astrophysical Journal
Issue number2
Volume753
Number of pages6
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

We present the results from a Chandra pilot study of 12 massive galaxy mergers selected from Galaxy Zoo. The sample includes major mergers down to a host galaxy mass of 1011 M ☉ that already have optical active galactic nucleus (AGN) signatures in at least one of the progenitors. We find that the coincidences of optically selected active nuclei with mildly obscured (N H 1.1 × 1022 cm–2) X-ray nuclei are relatively common (8/12), but the detections are too faint (<40 counts per nucleus; f 2-10 keV 1.2 × 10–13 erg s–1 cm–2) to reliably separate starburst and nuclear activity as the origin of the X-ray emission. Only one merger is found to have confirmed binary X-ray nuclei, though the X-ray emission from its southern nucleus could be due solely to star formation. Thus, the occurrences of binary AGNs in these mergers are rare (0%-8%), unless most merger-induced active nuclei are very heavily obscured or Compton thick.