Article (Scientific journals)
Near-intrared observations of the HE 0450-2958 system: discovery of a second active galactic nucleus?
Letawe, Géraldine; Magain, Pierre; Chantry, Virginie et al.
2009In Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 396 (1), p. 78-84
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Keywords :
galaxies: active; quasars: individual HE0450-2958
Abstract :
[en] The quasi-stellar object (QSO) HE 0450−2958 was brought to the front scene by the non-detection of its host galaxy and strong upper limits on the latter's luminosity. The QSO is also a powerful infrared emitter, in gravitational interaction with a strongly distorted ultraluminous infrared companion galaxy. We investigate the properties of the companion galaxy, through new near- and mid-infrared observations of the system obtained with Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) onboard Hubble Space Telescope, Infrared Spectrometer and Array Camera (ISAAC) and Very Large Telescope Imager and Spectrometer in the Infrared (VISIR) on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. The companion galaxy is found to harbour a point source revealed only in the infrared, in what appears as a hole or dark patch in the optical images. Various hypotheses on the nature of this point source are analysed and it is found that the only plausible one is that it is a strongly reddened active galactic nucleus hidden behind a thick dust cloud. The hypothesis that the QSO supermassive black hole might have been ejected from the companion galaxy in the course of a galactic collision involving three-body black holes interaction is also reviewed, on the basis of this new insight on a definitely complex system.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Letawe, Géraldine ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO)
Magain, Pierre  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astrophysique et traitement de l'image
Chantry, Virginie ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astrophysique et traitement de l'image
Letawe, Yannick ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Astrophysique et traitement de l'image
Language :
English
Title :
Near-intrared observations of the HE 0450-2958 system: discovery of a second active galactic nucleus?
Publication date :
2009
Journal title :
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
ISSN :
0035-8711
eISSN :
1365-2966
Publisher :
Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, United Kingdom
Volume :
396
Issue :
1
Pages :
78-84
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 25 June 2009

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