Adaptive Optics Imaging Of Quasi-Stellar Objects With Double-Peaked Narrow Lines: Are They Dual Active Galactic Nuclei?

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dc.contributor.utaustinauthorShields, Gregory A.en_US
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorSmith, K. L.en_US
dc.creatorRosario, D. J.en_US
dc.creatorMcGurk, R. C.en_US
dc.creatorMax, C. E.en_US
dc.creatorShields, Gregory A.en_US
dc.creatorSmith, K. L.en_US
dc.creatorAmmons, S. M.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-28T22:22:16Z
dc.date.available2016-04-28T22:22:16Z
dc.date.issued2011-09en
dc.description.abstractActive galaxies hosting two accreting and merging supermassive black holes (SMBHs)-dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs)-are predicted by many current and popular models of black-hole-galaxy co-evolution. We present here the results of a program that has identified a set of probable dual AGN candidates based on near-infrared laser guide star adaptive optics imaging with the Keck II telescope. These candidates are selected from a complete sample of radio-quiet quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which show double-peaked narrow AGN emission lines. Of the 12 AGNs imaged, we find 6 with double galaxy structure, of which four are in galaxy mergers. We measure the ionization of the two velocity components in the narrow AGN lines to test the hypothesis that both velocity components come from an active nucleus. The combination of a well-defined parent sample and high-quality imaging allows us to place constraints on the fraction of SDSS QSOs that host dual accreting black holes separated on kiloparsec scales: similar to 0.3%-0.65%. We derive from this fraction the time spent in a QSO phase during a typical merger and find a value that is much lower than estimates that arise from QSO space densities and galaxy merger statistics. We discuss possible reasons for this difference. Finally, we compare the SMBH mass distributions of single and dual AGNs and find little difference between the two within the limited statistics of our program, hinting that most SMBH growth happens in the later stages of a merger process.en_US
dc.description.departmentAstronomyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipW. M. Keck Foundationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundation AST-0908796en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipAlfred P. Sloan Foundationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Science Foundationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipU.S. Department of Energyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNational Aeronautics and Space Administrationen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipJapanese Monbukagakushoen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipMax Planck Societyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipHigher Education Funding Council for Englanden_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.15781/T2JK0W
dc.identifier.Filename2011_09_adaptiveoptics.pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationRosario, D. J., R. C. McGurk, C. E. Max, G. A. Shields, K. L. Smith, and S. M. Ammons. "Adaptive optics imaging of quasi-stellar objects with double-peaked narrow lines: Are they dual active galactic nuclei?." The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 739, No. 1 (Sep., 2011): 44.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1088/0004-637x/739/1/44en_US
dc.identifier.issn0004-637Xen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/35217
dc.language.isoEnglishen_US
dc.relation.ispartofen_US
dc.relation.ispartofserialAstrophysical Journalen_US
dc.rightsAdministrative deposit of works to Texas ScholarWorks: This works author(s) is or was a University faculty member, student or staff member; this article is already available through open access or the publisher allows a PDF version of the article to be freely posted online. The library makes the deposit as a matter of fair use (for scholarly, educational, and research purposes), and to preserve the work and further secure public access to the works of the University.en_US
dc.rights.restrictionOpenen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: activeen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: interactionsen_US
dc.subjectinfrared: galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectquasars:en_US
dc.subjectgeneralen_US
dc.subjecttechniques: high angular resolutionen_US
dc.subjectsupermassive black-holesen_US
dc.subjectdigital-sky-surveyen_US
dc.subjectqso host galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectseyfert-galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectluminosity functionen_US
dc.subjectbulge relationshipen_US
dc.subjectbinaryen_US
dc.subjectquasarsen_US
dc.subjectsmall scalesen_US
dc.subjectto 1en_US
dc.subjectmergersen_US
dc.subjectastronomy & astrophysicsen_US
dc.titleAdaptive Optics Imaging Of Quasi-Stellar Objects With Double-Peaked Narrow Lines: Are They Dual Active Galactic Nuclei?en_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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