English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Zendy Pro

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Presents AI Discovery search usage as a premium feature

AI Discovery

Presents AI Discovery explain and summary usage as a premium feature

Content Analysis

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

1500 Top-up

3000 Top-up

Zendy Basic

2500 Top-up

Zendy Unlimited

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

A direct consequence of hierarchical galaxy formation is the existence ofdual supermassive black holes (SMBHs), which may be preferentially triggered asactive galactic nuclei (AGN) during galaxy mergers. Despite decades ofsearching, however, dual AGNs are extremely rare, and most have been discoveredserendipitously. Using the all-sky WISE survey, we identified a population ofover 100 morphologically identified interacting galaxies or mergers thatdisplay red mid-infrared colors often associated in extragalactic sources withpowerful AGNs. The vast majority of these advanced mergers are opticallyclassified as star-forming galaxies suggesting that they may represent anobscured population of AGNs that cannot be found through optical studies. Inthis work, we present Chandra/ACIS observations and near-infrared spectra withthe Large Binocular Telescope of six advanced mergers with projected pairseparations less than ~ 10 kpc. The combined X-ray, near-infrared, andmid-infrared properties of these mergers provide confirmation that four out ofthe six mergers host at least one AGN, with four of the mergers possiblyhosting dual AGNs with projected separations less than ~10 kpc, despite showingno firm evidence for AGNs based on optical spectroscopic studies. Our resultsdemonstrate that 1) optical studies miss a significant fraction of single anddual AGNs in advanced mergers, and 2) mid-infrared pre-selection is extremelyeffective in identifying dual AGN candidates in late-stage mergers. Ourmulti-wavelength observations suggest that the buried AGNs in these mergers arehighly absorbed, with intrinsic column densities in excess of N_H >10^24cm^-2,consistent with hydrodynamic simulations.

Buried AGNs in Advanced Mergers:Mid-infrared color selection as a dual AGN finder