SDSS-IV MaNGA: Identification and Multiwavelength Properties of Type-1 AGN in the DR15 sample

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new spectral flux ratio method to identify type-1 AGN in galaxy spectra from MaNGA DR15, achieving higher detection rates and detailed multiwavelength characterization of these active nuclei.

Contribution

A novel flux ratio technique for identifying type-1 AGN in MaNGA spectra that does not require host galaxy subtraction, improving detection efficiency and enabling comprehensive multiwavelength analysis.

Findings

Identified 47 type-1 AGN out of 4700 galaxies.

Detection rate increased from 26% to 81% with the new method.

Classified AGN based on host galaxy contribution and multiwavelength properties.

Abstract

We present a method to identify type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the central 3 arcsec integrated spectra of galaxies in the MaNGA DR15 sample. It is based on flux ratios estimates in spectral bands flanking the expected H$\alpha$ broad component H$\alpha_{BC}$. The high signal-to-noise ratio obtained (mean S/N = 84) permits the identification of H$\alpha_{BC}$ without prior subtraction of the host galaxy (HG) stellar component. A final sample of 47 type-1 AGN is reported out of 4700 galaxies at $z$ < 0.15. The results were compared with those from other methods based on the SDSS DR7 and MaNGA data. Detection of type-1 AGN in those works compared to our method goes from 26% to 81%. Spectral indexes were used to classify the type-1 AGN spectra according to different levels of AGN-HG contribution, finding 9 AGN-dominated, 14 intermediate, and 24 HG-dominated objects. Complementary data in NIR-MIR allowed us to identify type I AGN-dominated objects as blue and HG-dominated as red in the WISE colors. From NVSS and FIRST radio continuum data, we identify 5 HERGs (high-excitation radio galaxies) and 4 LERGs (low-excitation radio galaxies), three showing evidence of radio-jets in the FIRST maps. Additional X-ray data from ROSAT allowed us to build [OIII] and H$\alpha_{BC}$ versus X-ray, NIR-MIR, and radio continuum diagrams, showing that L(H$\alpha_{BC}$) and L([OIII]) provide good correlations. The range in H$\alpha_{BC}$ luminosity is wide 38 < logL(H$\alpha_{BC}$) < 44, with log FWHM(H$\alpha_{BC}$)$\sim$ 3-4, covering a range of Eddington ratios of -5.15 < log L$_{bol}$/L$_{edd}$ < 0.70. Finally, we also identify and report ten possible changing-look AGN candidates.