Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Aug 1997
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997apj...485..552m&link_type=abstract
Astrophysical Journal v.485, p.552
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
99
Galaxies: Active, Galaxies: Ism, Galaxies: Seyfert, Galaxies: Structure
Scientific paper
We probe the cause of the elevated star formation in host galaxies of Seyfert 2 nuclei compared with Seyfert 1 hosts and with field galaxies. 12CO (1--0) observations of a large sample of Seyfert galaxies indicate no significant difference in the total amount of molecular gas as a function of the Seyfert nuclear type, nor are Seyfert galaxies significantly different in this regard from a sample of field galaxies once selection effects are accounted for. Therefore, the total amount of molecular gas is not responsible for the enhanced star-forming activity in Seyfert 2 hosts. To probe how this gas is being converted more efficiently into stars in Seyfert 2 hosts than in the other galaxies, we investigate the occurrence of bars, interactions, and distorted morphologies among Seyfert galaxies. We find a significantly higher rate of asymmetric morphologies for Seyfert 2 galaxies with respect to Seyfert 1 galaxies and field galaxies. Relative to field galaxies, the effect is at a greater than 99.9% confidence level. The presence of asymmetric morphologies in individual Seyfert galaxies is correlated with their tendency to exhibit enhanced star-forming activity. These results suggest that asymmetric morphologies are an important cause for the link between Seyfert type and star-forming activity: bars and distortions in Seyfert 2 hosts are likely both to enhance star-forming activity and to funnel gas into the nuclear region, thus obscuring and possibly contributing to the feeding of the active nucleus.
Maiolino Roberto
Papadopoulos Philippos
Rieke George H.
Ruiz Mariano
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