The X-ray Emission from the Nucleus of the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy NGC 3226
| Authors:
|
George, I.M.1,2,
Mushotzky, R.F.1,
Yaqoob, T.1,3,
Turner, T.J.1,2,
Kraemer, S.4,5,
Ptak, A.F.6,
Nandra, K.1,7
Crenshaw, D.M.4,5,
Netzer, H.8
|
| Affiltns:
|
1 LHEA,
NASA/GSFC,
2 JCA,
UMBC,
3 JHU,
4 LASP,
NASA/GSFC,
5 CUA,
6 CMU,
7 USRA,
8 TAU
|
| Journal:
|
ApJ, 559, 167
|
| Publn Date:
|
2001 Sept
|
Summary
We present the first high resolution X-ray image of the dwarf elliptical
galaxy NGC 3226. The data were obtained during an observation of the
nearby Seyfert Galaxy NGC 3227 using the Chandra X-ray Observatory.
We detect a point X-ray source spatially consistent with the optical
nucleus of NGC 3226 and a recently-detected, compact, flat-spectrum,
radio source. The X-ray spectrum can be measured up to ~10 keV
and is consistent with a power law with a photon index
1.7 <~ Gamma <~ 2.2, or thermal bremmstrahlung emission
with 4 <~ kT <~10 keV. In both cases the luminosity in the
2-10 keV band ~10{sup>40 h75-1 erg s-1.
We find marginal evidence that the nucleus varies within the observation.
These characteristics support evidence from other wavebands that
NGC 3226 harbors a low-luminosity, active nucleus.
We also comment on two previously-unknown, fainter X-ray sources
<~ 15 arcsec from the nucleus of NGC 3226. Their proximity to the
nucleus (with projected distances <~ 1.3 h75-1 kpc)
suggests both are within NGC 3226, and thus have luminosities
(~few x 1038-few x 1039 erg s-1)
consistent with black-hole binary systems.
Figures:
Fig1
Fig2a
Fig2b
Fig3a
Fig3b
Text
- Published Version
- Preprint
See Also
|
