Chandra unveils a binary active galactic nucleus in Mrk 463
Abstract
We analyse Chandra, XMM-Newton and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data of the double-nucleus Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy (ULIRG), Mrk 463. The Chandra detection of two luminous (L2-10keV = 1.5 × 1043 and 3.8 × 1042 erg cm-2 s-1), unresolved nuclei in Mrk 463 indicates that this galaxy hosts a binary active galactic nucleus (AGN), with a projected separation of ~=3.8 kpc (3.83 +/- 0.01 arcsec). While the East nucleus was already known to be a type 2 Seyfert (and this is further confirmed by our Chandra detection of a neutral iron line), this is the first unambiguous evidence in favour of the AGN nature of the West nucleus. Mrk 463 is therefore the clearest case so far for a binary AGN, after NGC 6240.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- May 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13078.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0802.0825
- Bibcode:
- 2008MNRAS.386..105B
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: active;
- galaxies: Seyfert;
- X-rays: individual: Mrk 463;
- X-rays: individual: Mrk 463E;
- X-rays: individual: Mrk 463W;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS