Chandra Detects Low-luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus with MBH = 104–106 M⊙ in Nearby (z < 0.5) Dwarf and Star-forming Galaxies

Mainak Singha; Julissa Sarmiento; Sangeeta Malhotra; James E. Rhoads; L. Y. Aaron Yung; Junxian Wang; Zhen-Ya Zheng; Ruqiu Lin; Keunho Kim; Jialai Kang; Santosh Harish

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adb979

The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2025)

Chandra Detects Low-luminosity Active Galactic Nucleus with MBH = 104–106 M⊙ in Nearby (z < 0.5) Dwarf and Star-forming Galaxies

Mainak Singha,
Julissa Sarmiento,
Sangeeta Malhotra,
James E. Rhoads,
L. Y. Aaron Yung,
Junxian Wang,
Zhen-Ya Zheng,
Ruqiu Lin,
Keunho Kim,
Jialai Kang,
Santosh Harish

Affiliations

Mainak Singha: ORCiD; Astrophysics Science Division , NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Department of Physics, The Catholic University of America , Washington, DC 20064, USA; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
Julissa Sarmiento: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
Sangeeta Malhotra: ORCiD; Astrophysics Science Division , NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
James E. Rhoads: Astrophysics Science Division , NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
L. Y. Aaron Yung: ORCiD; Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Junxian Wang: CAS Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology , Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of China
Zhen-Ya Zheng: ORCiD; Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology , Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, People’s Republic of China; School of Astronomy and Space Sciences , University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
Ruqiu Lin: Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology , Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, People’s Republic of China; School of Astronomy and Space Sciences , University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of China
Keunho Kim: IPAC, California Institute of Technology , 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Jialai Kang: University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei 230026, People’s Republic of China
Santosh Harish: Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics , School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, 84 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb979
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 984, no. 2
p. 155

Abstract

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We searched the Chandra and XMM archives for 900 Green Pea galaxies to identify signs of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Green peas are low-mass, emission-line galaxies that resemble high-redshift dwarf galaxies. From 29 observations, we detected X-rays in nine galaxies with signal-to-noise ratio > 3. These X-ray sources also show He ii and broad H α emissions, suggesting winds, though the weak correlation between their line widths implies that the He ii emission is not from super-Eddington accretors. The ratio of X-ray luminosity to star formation rate aligns with an anticorrelation with metallicity for most detected sources, pointing to ultraluminous X-ray sources as likely contributors. The X-ray emission exceeds what stellar processes can produce, supporting the existence of low-luminosity AGN. Using the broad H α emission lines, we infer black hole masses ranging from 10 ^4 to 10 ^6 M _⊙ in these sources. Since Green Peas are significant Lyman continuum leakers, these AGN may have played a role in cosmic reionization.

Published in The Astrophysical Journal

ISSN: 1538-4357 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy: Astrophysics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X

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