Central condensations in Seyfert galaxies. I

The one-dimensional brightness distribution and spatial luminosity distribution in normal and Seyfert galaxies are analyzed in order to study the role of the star density in the central regions of galaxies. Scanning photometer observations of 7 normal and 17 Seyfert galaxies are utilized to show that the Seyfert galaxies contain a central region 3-4 kpc across characterized by a high density of stars. A correlation of the luminosity of the spherical component per unit volume with the luminosity of the central starlike core is presented. It is demonstrated that the star density is higher in Seyfert-galaxy nuclei than in the nuclei of spiral systems which show no sign of Seyfert activity.