NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012A-0463
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012A-0463 |
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PI: Margaret Trippe, University of Maryland, trippe@astro.umd.edu
Address: Department of Astronomy, Stadium Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA
CoI: Michael Koss, University of Maryland/NASA GSFC
CoI: Richard Mushotsky, University of Maryland
CoI: Sylvain Veilleux, University of Maryland
CoI: Lisa Winter, University of Colorado
Title: Understanding the Activation of Local Dual AGN
Abstract: The detection and frequency of dual active galactic nuclei (AGN) on kpc scales can provide constraints on models of galaxy formation and an important test of the merger-driven AGN model. Further, understanding the types of galaxies and specific merger stages where dual AGN occur has the potential to provide key new insight into the peak of black hole growth in the merging process. Over the last decade, several nearby dual AGN with kpc-scale separations have been discovered serendipitously in interacting galaxies; however, a systematic study of these objects has yet to be done. Unfortunately, all of the very large spectroscopic surveys (2dF, 6dF, SDSS, BOSS, BigBOSS) suffer severe biases against obtaining spectra of companion galaxies because of their ~1\arcmin fiber collision limits. Additionally, because some X-ray detected AGN are not detected optically or vice versa, it is critical that any study of dual AGN has both X-ray and optical spectroscopy. We therefore propose to obtain high quality optical imaging and spectra for a large sample (~30) of nearby (\it z<0.05) X-ray selected AGN with companions within 30 kpc to understand dual AGN triggering and its relationship to merger progression.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2012A-0463 |
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