The environment of AGNs and the activity degree of their surrounding galaxies

TL;DR

This study investigates the large-scale environment of AGNs, revealing that galaxy activity levels and neighbor types vary with proximity to different AGN classes, highlighting environmental influences on galaxy activity.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive spectral analysis of galaxy environments around AGNs, uncovering trends in luminosities and neighbor types up to 1 Mpc, which was not previously detailed.

Findings

Higher emission line luminosities around Seyfert 1 galaxies

Increased likelihood of similar galaxy types in close neighborhoods

Inverse correlation between number of companions and galaxy luminosities

Abstract

Aims. We present results of a comprehensive spectral study on the large-scale environment of AGNs based on Sloan Spectroscopic Survey data. Methods. We analyzed the spectra of galaxies in the environment of AGN and other activity classes up to distances of 1 Mpc. Results. The mean H{\alpha} and [OIII] {\lambda}5007 line luminosities in the environmental galaxies within a projected radius of 1 Mpc are highest around Seyfert 1 galaxies, with decreasing luminosities for Seyfert 2 and HII galaxies, and lowest for absorption line galaxies. Furthermore, there is a trend toward H{\alpha} and [OIII] luminosities in the environmental galaxies increasing as a function of proximity to the central emission line galaxies. There is another clear trend toward a neighborhood effect within a radius of 1000 kpc for the AGN and non-AGN types: Seyfert galaxies tend to have the highest probability of having another Seyfert galaxy in the neighborhood. HII galaxies tend to have the highest probability of having another HII galaxy in the neighborhood, etc. The number of companions within 1000 kpc is inversely correlated with the H{\alpha}, [OIII] {\lambda}5007, as well as with the continuum luminosities of the central galaxies, regardless of whether they are of Seyfert, HII, or absorption line types.