The most luminous, merger-free AGNs show only marginal correlation with bar presence

Journal Article · Fri Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad966· OSTI ID:2425351

Garland, Izzy L. ^[1]; Fahey, Matthew J. ^[2]; Simmons, Brooke D. ^[2]; Smethurst, Rebecca J. ^[3]; Lintott, Chris J. ^[3]; Shanahan, Jesse ^[4]; Silcock, Maddie S. ^[5]; Smith, Joshua ^[2]; Keel, William C. ^[6]; Coil, Alison ^[4]; Géron, Tobias ^[3]; Kruk, Sandor ^[7]; Masters, Karen L. ^[8]; O’Ryan, David ^[2]; Thorne, Matthew R. ^[2]; Wiersema, Klaas ^[2]

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1. Lancaster Univ., Bailrigg (United Kingdom); SDSS-III Collaboration. et al.
2. Physics Department, Lancaster University , Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK
3. Oxford Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford , Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK
4. Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences (CASS), Department of Physics, University of California , San Diego, CA 92093, USA
5. Physics Department, Lancaster University , Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK; Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire , College Lane, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
6. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama , Box 870324, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404, USA
7. Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (MPE) , Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching bei München, Germany
8. Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Haverford College , 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA, 1904, USA

The role of large-scale bars in the fuelling of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is still debated, even as evidence mounts that black hole growth in the absence of galaxy mergers cumulatively dominates and may substantially influence disc (i.e. merger-free) galaxy evolution. We investigate whether large-scale galactic bars are a good candidate for merger-free AGN fuelling. Specifically, we combine slit spectroscopy and Hubble Space Telescope imagery to characterize star formation rates (SFRs) and stellar masses of the unambiguously disc-dominated host galaxies of a sample of luminous, Type-1 AGN with 0.02 < z < 0.24. After carefully correcting for AGN signal, we find no clear difference in SFRs between AGN hosts and a stellar mass-matched sample of galaxies lacking an AGN (0.013 < z < 0.19), although this could be due to small sample size (nAGN = 34). We correct for SFR and stellar mass to minimize selection biases, and compare the bar fraction in the two samples. We find that AGNs are marginally (~1.7σ) more likely to host a bar than inactive galaxies, with AGN hosts having a bar fraction, $$f_{\mathrm{bar}}=0.59^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$$ and inactive galaxies having a bar fraction, $$f_{\mathrm{bar}}=0.44^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$$. However, we find no further differences between SFR- and mass-matched AGNs and inactive samples. While bars could potentially trigger AGN activity, they appear to have no further, unique effect on a galaxy’s stellar mass or SFR.

• Research Organization: US Department of Energy (USDOE), Washington, DC (United States). Office of Science, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC)
• OSTI ID: 2425351
• Journal Information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Journal Name: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 522; ISSN 0035-8711
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics
galaxies: active
galaxies: bar
galaxies: disc
galaxies: star formation