Chandra unveils a binary active galactic nucleus in Mrk 463 |
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| Authors: | Stefano Bianchi Marco Chiaberge Enrico Piconcelli Matteo Guainazzi Giorgio Matt |
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| Institution: | Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitàdegli Studi Roma Tre, via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Roma, Italy;Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218;Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma (INAF), Via Frascati 33, I-00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy;XMM–Newton Science Operations Centre, European Space Astronomy Centre, ESA, Apartado 50727, E-28080 Madrid, Spain |
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| 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 ( L 2–10 keV= 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. |
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| Keywords: | galaxies: active galaxies: Seyfert X-rays: individual: Mrk 463 X-rays: individual: Mrk 463E X-rays: individual: Mrk 463W |
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