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Register a new userThe optical-ultraviolet continuum of Seyfert 2 galaxies
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This paper aims to understand the continuum of Seyfert 2 galaxies. By fitting the single galaxies in the sample of Heckman et al. (1995) with composite models (shock+ photoionization from the active center), we show that five main components characterize the SED of the continuum. Shocks play an important role since they produce a high temperature zone where soft X-rays are emitted. We show that in the optical-UV range, the slope of the NLR emission reproduces the observed values, and may be the main component of the featureless continuum. The presence of star forming regions cannot be excluded in the circumnuclear region of various Seyfert galaxies. An attempt is made to find their fingerprints in the observed AGN spectra. Finally, it is demonstrated that multi-cloud models are necessary to interpret the spectra of single objects, even in the global investigation of a sample of galaxies.
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We investigate the nature of the optical continuum and stellar population in the central kpc of the Seyfert 2s Mrk 348, Mrk 573, NGC 1358 and Mrk 1210 using long-slit spectra obtained along the radio or extended emission axis. These galaxies are known to have polarized continuum-including polarized broad lines in Mrk 348 and Mrk 1210--and previous studies indicate featureless continuum (FC) contributions in the 20-50% range at 5500 A. Nevertheless, our measurements of the equivalent widths of absorption lines and continuum ratios as a function of distance from the nuclei show no dilution of the lines nor bluening of the spectrum, as expected if a blue FC was present at the nucleus in the above proportions. We investigate one possibility to account for this effect: that the stellar population at the nucleus is the same as that from the surrounding bulge and dominates the nuclear light. A spectral analysis confirms that this hypothesis works for Mrk 348, NGC 1358 and Mrk 1210, for which we find stellar contributions at the nucleus larger than 90% at all wavelengths. We find that a larger stellar population contribution to the nuclear spectra can play the role of the ``second FC source inferred from previous studies. Stellar population synthesis shows that the nuclear regions of Mrk 348 and Mrk 1210 have important contributions of young to intermediate age stars (0--100 Myr), not present in templates of elliptical galaxies. In the case of Mrk 1210, this is further confirmed by the detection of a ``Wolf-Rayet feature in the nuclear emission-line spectrum.
The Optical Monitor telescope (Mason et al. 2001) on XMM-Newton provides an exciting multi-wavelength dimension to observations of Active Galactic Nuclei. Here we present ultraviolet images, taken with the OM UVW2 filter (140-270 nm), of various Seyfert galaxies, some of which have never been observed in this waveband before. The images show UV emission from both the active nucleus and the host galaxy. The distribution of UV emission in the galaxy shows where star formation is occurring, thus giving us clues as to the evolution of the host galaxy and perhaps its relationship to the Seyfert Nucleus.
We report broad band (0.1-200 keV) X-ray observations, made by BeppoSAX, of a sample of bright Seyfert 2 galaxies: NGC7172, NGC2110, NGC4507, Mkn 3 and NGC7674. These spectra provide a better understanding of the effects of X-ray reprocessing by cold material in the source and allow to put tighter constraints on the various spectral parameters involved. In particular, the data are used to determine, with less ambiguities than in the past, the shape of the intrinsic continuum emission by means of the high energy data. Within the small sample both Compton thin and Compton thick sources are found according to the expectations of the unified theory.
JHKLM (1-5 micron) imaging of a sample of Seyfert (Sy) 2 galaxies is presented. We confirm that the 1-2.2 micron nuclear continuum of some Sy 2s is dominated by stellar emission, whereas the continuum emission at longer wavelengths (3-5 micron) is almost entirely non-stellar in origin. The IR non-stellar spectral energy distributions (SED) (up to 15 micron) of Sy galaxies show a variety of shapes, and they are well reproduced with the tapered disk models of Efstathiou & Rowan-Robinson (1995). We have used two models, one including an optically thin cone component and a coneless model. Although our modelling of the SEDs does not allow us to favor either model to account for all the observed SEDs, we find that the viewing angle towards the central source is well constrained by both models. We have also investigated non-stellar color-color diagrams. The colors of the Sy galaxies with viewing angles theta < 30 degree are better reproduced with the cone model. These diagrams provide a good means to separate Sy 2s with moderate obscuration (A_V < 20 mag, from hard X-ray observations) from those with high obscuration. The ground-based 4.8 micron and ISO 9.6 micron luminosities are well correlated with the hard X-ray luminosities of Sy 1s and 2s. These continuum emissions appear as a good indicator of the AGN luminosity, at least in the cases of hard X-ray Compton-thin Sy galaxies. We finally stress the finding that some Compton thick galaxies show bright non-stellar emission at 5 micron. This suggests that the near-IR emission in Sys is produced in an extended component illuminated by the central source, that is more visible from all viewing angles. We discuss possible implications of mid-IR surveys for the search of counterparts of highly obscured hard X-ray sources. (Abridged)
We present radio observations for 29 southern Seyfert galaxies selected from a volume limited sample with cz<3600 km s^-1, and declination delta<0degr. Objects with declination -30degr<delta<0degr were observed with the Very Large Array (VLA) at 6 cm (4.9 GHz) and objects with delta<-30degr were observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) at 3.5 cm (8.6 GHz). Both the VLA and the ATCA observations have a resolution of ~1arcsec. These new observations cover more than 50% of the southern sample with all but two of the 29 objects detected above our limit of 0.15 mJy. Combining these data with data available from the literature gives almost 85% coverage of the southern sample and further expands the radio observations of a distance limited sample by 22%. Collecting additional sources from the literature, consisting of known Seyferts with cz < 4600 km s^-1, we find that 38% of the sources are unresolved at arcsecond resolution, and 34% have linear radio structure. Our results expand upon and are consistent with earlier studies. We confirm a correlation between the size of the radio structure and the radio luminosity. A comparison between Seyfert types 1 and 2 finds that type 2s tend to have a larger linear size. There is no statistically significant difference in radio power between types 1 and 2, although all the most powerful objects appear to be Seyfert 2s. No significant difference has been found in the spectral indices.
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