The DEEP2 Galaxy Redshift Survey: AEGIS Observations of a Dual AGN at z = 0.7
Barmby, P.; Ivison, R. J.; Weiner, Benjamin J.; Conselice, Christopher J.; Nandra, Kirpal; Davis, Marc; Faber, S. M.; Salim, Samir; Coil, Alison L.; Yan, Renbin; Koo, David C.; Newman, Jeffrey A.; Guhathakurta, Puragra; Lin, Lihwai; Lotz, Jennifer; Cooper, Michael C.; Gerke, Brian F.; Small, Todd
United States, Germany, United Kingdom, Taiwan
Abstract
We present evidence of a dual active galactic nucleus (AGN) within an early-type galaxy at z=0.709 in the extended Groth strip. The galaxy lies on the red sequence, with absolute magnitude MB=-21.0 (AB, with h=0.7) and rest-frame color U-B=1.38. Its optical spectrum shows strong, double-peaked [O III] emission lines and weak Hβ emission, with Seyfert-like line ratios. The two narrow peaks are separated by 630 km s-1 in velocity and arise from two distinct regions, spatially resolved in the DEIMOS spectrum, with a projected physical separation of 1.2 kpc. HST ACS imaging shows an early-type (E/S0) galaxy with hints of disturbed structure, consistent with the remnant of a dissipationless merger. Multiwavelength photometric information from the AEGIS consortium confirms the identification of a dust-obscured AGN in an early-type galaxy, with detections in X-ray, optical, infrared, and radio wave bands. These data are most readily explained as a single galaxy harboring two AGNs-the first such system to be observed in an otherwise typical early-type galaxy.