http://arxiv.org/abs/2301.03091
The existence of multiple active galactic nuclei (AGN) at small projected distances on the sky is due to either the presence of multiple, in-spiraling SMBHs, or to gravitational lensing of a single AGN. Both phenomena allow us to address important astrophysical and cosmological questions. However, few kpc-separation multiple AGN are currently known. Recently, the newly-developed Gaia Multi peak (GMP) method provided numerous new candidate members of these populations. We present spatially resolved, integral-field spectroscopy of a sample of four GMP-selected multiple AGNs candidates. In all of these systems, we detect two or more components with sub-arcsec separations. We find that two of the systems are dual AGNs, one is either an intrinsic triple or a lensed dual AGN, while the last system is a chance AGN/star alignment. Our observations double the number of confirmed multiple AGNs at projected separations below 7 kpc at z > 0.5, present the first detection of a possible triple AGN in a single galaxy at z > 0.5, and successfully test the GMP method as a novel technique to discover previously unknown multiple AGNs.
A. Ciurlo, F. Mannucci, S. Yeh, et. al.
Tue, 10 Jan 23
14/93
Comments: 6 pages, 2 figures
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