Evidence for an offset active nucleus in the Seyfert galaxy NGC3227

Bibcode
1993Natur.365..420M
DOI
10.1038/365420a0
Mediavilla, E.; Arribas, S.
Bibliographical reference

Nature, Volume 365, Issue 6445, pp. 420-422 (1993).

Advertised on:
9
1993
Journal
Nature
Number of authors
2
IAC number of authors
2
Citations
28
Refereed citations
23
Description
THE active nuclei of Seyfert 1 galaxies are characterized by a small (˜0.03 pc) region of intense broad emission lines, indicative of gas moving at extremely high velocities and ionized by a non-thermal radiation field. These spectral features are usually explained by invoking the presence of a central supermassive black hole. Here we present two-dimensional spectra of the Seyfert galaxy NGC3227, from which we have calculated the intensity maps of the emission lines, and the velocity field representing the motion of gas within the central kiloparsec of the galaxy. Surprisingly, we find that the region of broad emission lines is offset from the kinematic centre by about 250 pc, suggesting that the putative supermassive black hole is displaced from the true galactic centre. Possible explanations of this finding include the transient migration of the black hole from the galactic centre, a black hole in orbit about a central concentration of dark matter, or the capture of the black hole during the merger of NGC3227 with another galaxy.
Type
Refereed

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