A statistical study of the relationship between galaxy interactions and nuclear activity.
Abstract
Small-aperture near- and mid-infrared photometry of a complete sample of interacting galaxies has been obtained. Statistical comparison of the nuclear properties of these galaxies with samples of noninteracting galaxies shows that signs of abnormal nuclear activity are much more common in interacting systems. In particular, a population of nuclei with extremely luminous 10 micron emission is unique to the interacting sample. Roughly half of the interacting galaxies with nuclear 10 micron sources also exhibit evidence of extended 10 micron emission using measurements from IRAS. The far-infrared luminosities of the interacting sample are also greater than those of representative selections of normal galaxies. The identification of extraluminous infrared emission in a significant number of the surveyed galaxies suggests that interactions may in some way be associated with other high-luminosity phenomena such as Seyfert nuclei and QSOs.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 1985
- DOI:
- 10.1086/163422
- Bibcode:
- 1985ApJ...296...90C
- Keywords:
-
- Galactic Nuclei;
- Galactic Radiation;
- Infrared Photometry;
- Interacting Galaxies;
- Luminosity;
- Statistical Analysis;
- Galactic Clusters;
- Spiral Galaxies;
- Astrophysics