The NGC 3341 minor merger: a panchromatic view of the active galactic nucleus in a dwarf companion

TL;DR

This study uses multi-wavelength data to identify an active galactic nucleus in a dwarf galaxy within a minor-merging system, highlighting the role of minor mergers in triggering AGN activity.

Contribution

It provides the first confirmed case of an AGN in a satellite dwarf galaxy of a minor merger, offering new insights into galaxy evolution models.

Findings

Confirmed AGN in NGC3341B through X-ray and radio observations

Primary galaxy and NGC3341C unlikely to host AGN

Minor mergers can trigger AGN activity in satellite dwarf galaxies

Abstract

We present X-ray (Chandra), radio (EVLA and EVN), and archival optical data of the triple-merging system in NGC3341. Our panchromatic analysis confirms the presence of a Seyfert 2 AGN in NGC3341B, one of the secondary dwarf companions. On the other hand, the nucleus of the primary galaxy, consistent with a star-forming region of a few solar masses per year, and NGC3341C are very unlikely to host an AGN. We therefore suggest that NGC3341 is an exceptional example of an AGN triggered in the satellite galaxy of a minor-merging system. The existence of such a system can have important implications in the models of hierarchical growth of structures. Further observational and theoretical efforts on NGC3341 and potentially similar sources are needed in order to understand the role of minor mergers on the onset of AGN activity, and in the evolution of massive galaxies.