The environment of AGNs and the activity degree of their surrounding galaxies

Abstract

Aims. We present results of a comprehensive spectral study on the large-scale environment of AGNs based on Sloan Spectroscopic Survey data. Methods. We analyzed the spectra of galaxies in the environment of AGN and other activity classes up to distances of 1 Mpc. Results. The mean Hα and [OIII] λ5007 line luminosities in the environmental galaxies within a projected radius of 1 Mpc are highest around Seyfert 1 galaxies, with decreasing luminosities for Seyfert 2 and HII galaxies, and lowest for absorption line galaxies. Furthermore, there is a trend toward Hα and [OIII] luminosities in the environmental galaxies increasing as a function of proximity to the central emission line galaxies. There is another clear trend toward a neighborhood effect within a radius of 1000 kpc for the AGN and non-AGN types: Seyfert galaxies tend to have the highest probability of having another Seyfert galaxy in the neighborhood. HII galaxies tend to have the highest probability of having another HII galaxy in the neighborhood, etc. The number of companions within 1000 kpc is inversely correlated with the Hα, [OIII] λ5007, as well as with the continuum luminosities of the central galaxies, regardless of whether they are of Seyfert, HII, or absorption line types.

9 pages, 6 figures, to be published in A&A

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Triggering Active Galactic Nuclei in Hierarchical Galaxy Formation: Disk instability vs. Interactions
• The co-evolution of strong AGN and central galaxies in different environments
• Clustering and physical properties of AGN and Star-Forming Galaxies at fixed stellar mass: does assembly bias have a role in AGN activity?