A NEW COLLISIONAL RING GALAXY AT z = 0.111: AURIGA'S WHEEL
- Max Planck Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, 69117, Heidelberg (Germany)
- Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum fuer Astronomie der Universitaet Heidelberg, Moenchhofstrasse 12-14, 69120,Heidelberg (Germany)
- European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001, Vitacura, Santiago, 19 (Chile)
- Departamento de Astronomia, Universidad de Concepcion, Casilla 160-C, Concepcion (Chile)
We report the serendipitous discovery of a collision ring galaxy, identified as 2MASX J06470249+4554022, which we have dubbed 'Auriga's Wheel', found in a SUPRIME-CAM frame as part of a larger Milky Way survey. This peculiar class of galaxies is the result of a near head-on collision typically between a late-type and an early-type galaxy. Subsequent Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph North long-slit spectroscopy has confirmed both the relative proximity of the components of this interacting pair and has shown that it has a redshift of 0.111. Analysis of the spectroscopy reveals that the late-type galaxy is a LINER class active galactic nucleus (AGN) while the early-type galaxy is also potentially an AGN candidate; this is very uncommon among known collision ring galaxies. Preliminary modeling of the ring finds an expansion velocity of {approx}200 km s{sup -1} consistent with our observations, making the collision about 50 Myr old. The ring currently has a radius of about 10 kpc and a bridge of stars and gas is also visible connecting the two galaxies.
- OSTI ID:
- 21612705
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 741, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/80; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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