2025ApJ...995L..58S


Query : 2025ApJ...995L..58S

2025ApJ...995L..58S - Astrophys. J., 995, L58 (2025/December-3)

The First Triple Radio Active Galactic Nucleus in an Ongoing Galaxy Merger.

SCHWARTZMAN E., PFEIFLE R.W., CLARKE T.E., WEAVER K.A., SECREST N.J., ROTHBERG B., McCARTHY M., STERN D., BOORMAN P.G. and PIOTROWSKA J.

Abstract (from CDS):

Galaxy mergers are predicted to be a critical stage of merger-driven SMBH growth and galaxy evolution. Systems exhibiting multiple active galactic nuclei (AGN) are an important observational tool for constraining the prevalence and properties of merging SMBHs. Most multi-AGN selection methods focus on the identification of AGN pairs, while few focus on the more elusive triple AGN, which are a prediction of hierarchical growth and natural laboratories for studying SMBH dynamics. These systems are rare; only two confirmed cases exist locally (z < 0.1). Here, we present a new, confirmed triple AGN system, WISEJ121857.42+103551.2/WISEJ121901.77+103515.0, with nuclear separations of 22.6 and 97 kpc, identified within a sample of spatially resolved mid-IR dual AGN. The system exhibits multiwavelength evidence for three distinct AGN hosted in an ongoing galaxy merger. To confirm the nature of this system, we present new radio observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array in A-configuration at 3, 10, and 15 GHz, providing subarcsecond resolutions, and the Very Long Baseline Array at 4.9 GHz, providing milliarcsecond resolutions. These observations confirm this system as a triple AGN, and the first triple AGN in which all three nuclei host radio AGN.

Abstract Copyright: © 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Journal keyword(s): Radio active galactic nuclei - Radio astronomy

Simbad objects: 7

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Number of rows : 7
N Identifier Otype ICRS (J2000)
RA
ICRS (J2000)
DEC
Mag U Mag B Mag V Mag R Mag I Sp type #ref
1850 - 2026
#notes
1 NGC 833 Sy2 02 09 20.8490871072 -10 07 59.003785884   14.02 13.00 12.75   ~ 207 0
2 NGC 835 Sy2 02 09 24.606 -10 08 09.31   13.29 12.45 12.24   ~ 226 1
3 HCG 16 CGG 02 09 40.82 -10 11 02.0           ~ 175 0
4 NGC 839 EmG 02 09 42.73127 -10 11 01.6370   13.98 11.42 12.70   ~ 161 1
5 SDSS J084905.51+111447.2 PaG 08 49 05.51664 +11 14 47.2596           ~ 14 0
6 LEDA 39645 AGN 12 18 57.41640 +10 35 51.2412           ~ 3 0
7 2MASS J12190177+1035154 AGN 12 19 01.779 +10 35 15.42           ~ 2 0

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