Mid-infrared properties, excitation mechanisms and AGN content of LINERs -- An IRS survey

Details Mid-infrared properties, excitation mechanisms and AGN content of LINERs -- An IRS survey Mid-infrared properties, excitation mechanisms and AGN content of LINERs -- An IRS survey

Sep 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3237s&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #3237

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Low-Ionization Nuclear Emission-Line Region galaxies (LINERs) are a constituent in a major fraction of large galaxies, but their nature and their relation to AGN is still a puzzle. We propose to perform low and high resolution IRS spectroscopy of a medium-sized sample (37 objects) of nearby LINERs. In recent years, we have developed and refined spectroscopic mid-IR diagnostic tools based on ISO data and analysis. We will apply these tools to a sample consisting of both classical nuclear LINERs and extended, non-nuclear LINERs, in order to study the roles played by star formation, AGN, and shocks (interaction-driven or wind-driven) in exciting the gas. This will provide new clues as to which LINERs are AGN powered, and how these AGN LINERs differ from more luminous Seyfert galaxies. The fraction of LINERs that is AGN-powered, and the accretion mode in these low-luminosity objects, are important for a number of major issues in extragalactic astronomy, including the contribution of AGNs to the cosmic infrared background, the growth history of central black holes, and the relation of central accreting black holes to galaxy formation and evolution. We will also search for differences in the mid-infrared spectra of nuclear and non-nuclear LINERs in nearby galaxies. In higher redshift galaxies, non-nuclear LINER emission may be more important than locally because of the greater frequency of galaxy interactions, but nuclear and non-nuclear LINERs will be difficult to distinguish, due to limitations in spatial resolution. Our project will therefore provide the community with a fundamental IR data set for future studies of the more distant LINER population.

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