Companion Galaxies of Radio AGN: Insights into AGN Fueling and Feedback
Abstract
Powerful radio jets from AGN may affect nearby galaxies. There is observational evidence of both enhanced and suppressed star formation in satellite galaxies of radio AGN. Theoretical models have also been developed which explain both suppressed and enhanced star formation as a result of jet interaction. Our investigation aims to examine whether radio jet interactions commonly enhance or suppress star formation in satellite galaxies. We compared the satellites of a large, statistical sample of 7,220 radio AGN to the satellites of a control sample of non-radio AGN. Galaxies in the control sample match the radio AGN in redshift, r magnitude and u-r color. Data for the satellites were drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). A catalog of galaxy clusters was used to classify galaxies in both samples as field galaxies, cluster members, or brightest cluster galaxies. Preliminary results suggest that for galaxies in all three of these environments, radio AGN have more satellites within 100 kpc than non-radio AGN. These excess satellites tend to be red, which suggests they are not the result of jet-induced star formation. Since the excess in red satellites of radio AGN is not accompanied by a decrease in the number of blue satellites, we suggest that AGN jets do not usually suppress star formation.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- June 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AAS...22230902P