The merging/AGN connection. II. Ionization of the circumnuclear regions

We report the first results of a study of a sample of 20 galaxy mergers/interacting systems, using the VIMOS and PMAS integral field spectrographs. For each object, we extracted the integrated spectrum of the central regions and analyzed the ionization state using classical diagnostic diagrams (Veil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) 2005-01, Vol.429 (2), p.L21-L24
Main Authors: SANCHEZ, S. F, BECKER, T, GARCIA-LORENZO, B, BENN, C. R, CHRISTENSEN, L, KELZ, A, JAHNKE, K, ROTH, M. M
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We report the first results of a study of a sample of 20 galaxy mergers/interacting systems, using the VIMOS and PMAS integral field spectrographs. For each object, we extracted the integrated spectrum of the central regions and analyzed the ionization state using classical diagnostic diagrams (Veilleux & Osterbrock 1987). There is evidence of AGN ionization in 4 of the objects, i.e. 20% of the sample, a considerably higher fraction than found in previous studies ( similar to 4%). An increase of the nuclear activity with the far infrared temperature may account for the difference.
ISSN:0004-6361
1432-0746
DOI:10.1051/0004-6361:200400107