Arp 299: A Second Merging System with Two Active Nuclei?
Abstract
Recent BeppoSAX observations of Arp 299, a powerful far-IR merging starburst system composed of IC 694 and NGC 3690, clearly unveiled for the first time in this system the presence of a strongly absorbed active galactic nucleus (AGN). However, the system was not spatially resolved by BeppoSAX. Here we present the analysis of archival Chandra and (for the first time) XMM-Newton observations, which allow us to disentangle the X-ray emission of the two galaxies. The detection of a strong 6.4 keV line in NGC 3690 clearly demonstrates the existence of an AGN in this galaxy, while the presence of a strong 6.7 keV Fe-Kα line in the spectrum of IC 694 suggests that this nucleus might also harbor an AGN. This would be the second discovery of two AGNs in a merging system after NGC 6240.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1086/379887
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0306436
- Bibcode:
- 2004ApJ...600..634B
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxies: Active;
- Galaxies: Individual: Name: Arp 299;
- Galaxies: Individual: Alphanumeric: IC 694;
- Galaxies: Individual: NGC Number: NGC 3690;
- Galaxies: Starburst;
- X-Rays: Galaxies;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 2 figures, Latex manuscript. Revised version after referee' comments
