Bibcode
Inskip, K.; Dicken, D.; Holt, J.; Rose, M.; Morganti, R.; Ramos-Almeida, C.; Tadhunter, C. N.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 427, Issue 2, pp. 1603-1613.
Advertised on:
12
2012
Citations
21
Refereed citations
21
Description
We present optical, infrared (IR) and radio observations of the powerful
Fanaroff-Riley type II (FR II) radio source PKS 0347+05 (z = 0.3390),
and demonstrate that it is a rare example of a radio-loud/radio-quiet
double active galactic nucleus (AGN) system, comprising a weak-line
radio galaxy (WLRG) separated by 25 kpc (in projection) from a Seyfert 1
nucleus at the same redshift. Our deep Gemini optical images show a
highly disturbed morphology, with a warped dust lane crossing through
the halo and nuclear regions of the radio galaxy host, tidal tails and a
bridge connecting the radio galaxy to the Seyfert 1 nucleus. Spectral
synthesis modelling of our Gemini optical spectrum of the radio galaxy
shows evidence for a reddened young stellar population of age ≤100
Myr. Further evidence for recent star formation activity in this source
is provided by the detection of strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
features in mid-IR Spitzer/IRS spectra. Together, these observations
support a model in which both AGN have been triggered simultaneously in
a major galaxy merger. However, despite the presence of a powerful FR II
radio source, and the apparently plentiful supply of fuel provided by
the merger, the nucleus of the radio galaxy shows only weak,
low-ionization emission-line activity. We speculate that the fuel supply
to nuclear regions of the radio galaxy has recently switched off (within
the last ˜106 yr), but the information about the
resulting decrease in nuclear AGN activity has yet to reach the extended
lobes and hotspots of the FR II radio source. Based on this scenario, we
derive a lower limit on the typical lifetimes of powerful,
intermediate-redshift FR II radio sources of τ FR II
≳5×106 yr. Overall, our observations emphasize that the
fuelling of AGN activity in major galaxy mergers is likely to be highly
intermittent.
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