ChandraObservations of the Interacting NGC 4410 Galaxy Group

We present high resolution X-ray imaging data from the ACIS-S instrument onthe Chandra telescope of the nearby interacting galaxy group NGC 4410. Fourgalaxies in the inner portion of this group are clearly detected by Chandra,including the peculiar low luminosity radio galaxy NGC 4410A. In addition to anuclear point source, NGC 4410A contains diffuse X-ray emission, including anX-ray ridge extending out to about 12" (6 kpc) to the northwest of the nucleus.This ridge is coincident with an arc of optical emission-line gas, which haspreviously been shown to have optical line ratios consistent with shockionization. This structure may be due to an expanding superbubble of hot gascaused by supernovae and stellar winds or by the active nucleus. The Chandraobservations also show four or five possible compact ultra-luminous X-ray (ULX)sources (L(x) >= 10^39 erg/s) associated with NGC 4410A. At least one of thesecandidate ULXs appears to have a radio counterpart, suggesting that it may bedue to an X-ray binary with a stellar-mass black hole, rather than anintermediate mass black hole. In addition, a faint diffuse intragroup X-raycomponent has been detected between the galaxies (L(x) ~ 10^41 erg/s). Thissupports the hypothesis that the NGC 4410 group is in the process of evolvingvia mergers from a spiral-dominated group (which typically have noX-ray-emitting intragroup gas) to an elliptical-dominated group (which oftenhave a substantial intragroup medium).