XMM-Newton First-Light Observations of the Hickson Galaxy Group 16

Abstract

This paper presents the XMM-Newton first-light observations of the Hickson-16 compact group of galaxies. Groups are possibly the oldest large-scale structures in the Universe, pre-dating clusters of galaxies, and are highly evolved. This group of small galaxies, at a redshift of 0.0132 (or 80 Mpc) is exceptional in the having the highest concentration of starburst or AGN activity in the nearby Universe. So it is a veritable laboratory for the study of the relationship between galaxy interactions and nuclear activity. Previous optical emission line studies indicated a strong ionising continuum in the galaxies, but its origin, whether from starbursts, or AGN, was unclear. Combined imaging and spectroscopy with the EPIC X-ray CCDs unequivocally reveals a heavily obscured AGN and a separately identified thermal (starburst) plasma, in NGC 835, NGC 833 and NGC 839. NGC 838 shows only starburst thermal emission. Starbursts and AGN can evidently coexist in members of this highly evolved system of merged and merging galaxies, implying a high probability for the formation of AGN as well as starbursts in post-merger galaxies.

6 pages, accepted for publication in A&A Special Letters Edition (First results from XMM-Newton)

References in corpus (4)

• The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The MOS Cameras
• The XMM-Newton Optical/UV Monitor Telescope
• The Relation Between Activity and Environment in Compact Groups of Galaxies
• ASCA Observations of "Type 2" LINERs: Evidence for a Stellar Source of Ionization

Cited by in corpus (26)

• Chandra Snapshot Observations of Low-Luminosity AGNs with a Compact Radio Source
• NGC 839: Shocks in an M82-like Superwind
• X-ray nature of the LINER nuclear sources
• The Infrared Properties of Hickson Compact Groups
• The LX-sigma Relation for Galaxies and Clusters of Galaxies
• The AGN fraction - velocity dispersion relation in clusters of galaxies
• Probing the Physics of Narrow Line Regions in Active Galaxies II: The Siding Spring Southern Seyfert Spectroscopic Snapshot Survey (S7)
• The relation between galaxy activity and the dynamics of compact groups of galaxies
• Galaxy Interactions in Compact Groups I : The Galactic Winds of HCG16
• C-GOALS II. Chandra Observations of the Lower Luminosity Sample of Nearby Luminous Infrared Galaxies in GOALS
• Quiescent state and outburst evolution of SGR 0501+4516
• The XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue
• Characterizing Compact 15-33 GHz Radio Continuum Sources in Local U/LIRGs
• Gliese 12 b: A temperate Earth-sized planet at 12 pc ideal for atmospheric transmission spectroscopy
• Stellar Populations in Compact Galaxy Groups: a Multi-Wavelength Study of HCGs 16, 22, and 42, their Star Clusters and Dwarf Galaxies
• The detection of diffuse emission in HCG 16 with XMM-Newton
• Evolution of compact groups from intermediate to final stages: A case study of the HI content of HCG 16
• XMM-Newton and ESO observations of the two unidentified gamma-ray sources 3EG J0616-3310 and 3EG J1249-8330
• IGR J17488-2338: a newly discovered giant radio galaxy
• Multiple AGN in the crowded field of the compact group SDSSJ0959+1259
• Hard X-ray View of HCG 16 (Arp 318)
• The Chandra view of NGC1800 and the X-ray scaling properties of dwarf starbursts
• X-ray long-term variations in the low-luminosity AGN NGC835 and its circumnuclear emission
• The Spitzer-IRAC/MIPS Extragalactic Survey (SIMES): II enhanced nuclear accretion rate in galaxy groups at z$\sim$0.2
• Long Term Study of the Double Pulsar J0737-3039 with XMM-Newton: pulsar timing
• Unveiling multiple AGN activity in galaxy mergers