Atomic hydrogen properties of active galactic nuclei host galaxies: H I in 16 nuclei of galaxies (NUGA) sources
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (MPIA), Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
- Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Twelve Quays House, Egerton Wharf, Birkenhead, CH41 1LD (United Kingdom)
- Observatorio Astronomico Nacional (OAN)-Observatorio de Madrid, Alfonso XII, 3, 28014-Madrid (Spain)
- Observatoire de Paris, DEMIRM, 61 Av. de l Observatoire, 75914-Paris (France)
We present a comprehensive spectroscopic imaging survey of the distribution and kinematics of atomic hydrogen (H I) in 16 nearby spiral galaxies hosting low luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN), observed with high spectral and spatial resolution (resolution: ∼20'', ∼5 km s{sup –1}) using the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA). The sample contains a range of nuclear types ranging from Seyfert to star-forming nuclei, and was originally selected for the NUclei of GAlaxies project (NUGA)—a spectrally and spatially resolved interferometric survey of gas dynamics in nearby galaxies designed to identify the fueling mechanisms of AGN and the relation to host galaxy evolution. Here we investigate the relationship between the H I properties of these galaxies, their environment, their stellar distribution, and their AGN type. The large-scale H I morphology of each galaxy is classified as ringed, spiral, or centrally concentrated; comparison of the resulting morphological classification with the AGN type reveals that ring structures are significantly more common in low-ionization narrow emission-line regions (LINER) than in Seyfert host galaxies, suggesting a time evolution of the AGN activity together with the redistribution of the neutral gas. Dynamically disturbed H I disks are also more prevalent in LINER host galaxies than in Seyfert host galaxies. While several galaxies are surrounded by companions (some with associated H I emission), there is no correlation between the presence of companions and the AGN type (Seyfert/LINER).
- OSTI ID:
- 22340029
- Journal Information:
- Astronomical Journal (New York, N.Y. Online), Vol. 135, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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