NGC 5252: a pair of radio-emitting active galactic nuclei?
Journal article, 2017

The X-ray source CXO J133815.6+043255 has counterparts in the UV, optical, and radio bands. Based on the multiband investigations, it has been recently proposed by Kim et al. as a rarely seen off-nucleus ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source with a black hole mass of ≥104 M⊙ in the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 5252. To explore its radio properties at very high angular resolution, we performed very long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations with the European VLBI Network (EVN) at 1.7 GHz. We find that the radio counterpart is remarkably compact among the known ULXs. It does not show a resolved structure with a resolution of a few milliarcsecond (mas), and the total recovered flux density is comparable to that measured in earlier sub-arcsecond-resolution images. The compact radio structure, the relatively flat spectrum, and the high radio luminosity are consistent with a weakly accreting supermassive black hole in a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. The nucleus of NGC 5252 itself has similar radio properties. We argue that the system represents a relatively rare pair of active galactic nuclei, where both components emit in the radio.

galaxies: individual: NGC 5252 galaxies: jets radio continuum: galaxies X-rays: individual: CXO J133815.6+043255

galaxies

NGC 5252

individual

Author

Xiaolong Yang

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Jun Yang

Chalmers, Earth and Space Sciences, Onsala Space Observatory

Z. Paragi

Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)

Xiang Liu

Chinese Academy of Sciences

T. An

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Stefano Bianchi

Universita degli studi - Roma Tre

Luis C. Ho

Beijing University of Technology

Lang Cui

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Wei Zhao

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Xiaocong Wu

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

17453925 (ISSN) 17453933 (eISSN)

Vol. 464 1 L70-L74 slw160

Advanced Radio Astronomy in Europe (RADIONET3)

European Commission (EC) (EC/FP7/283393), 2012-01-01 -- 2015-12-31.

Novel EXplorations Pushing Robust e-VLBI Services (NEXPReS)

European Commission (EC) (EC/FP7/261525), 2010-07-01 -- 2013-06-30.

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Roots

Basic sciences

Infrastructure

Onsala Space Observatory

DOI

10.1093/mnrasl/slw160

More information

Latest update

1/3/2024 9