Journal
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
Volume 529, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
EDP SCIENCES S A
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201015264
Keywords
infrared: galaxies; X-rays: galaxies; galaxies: active; galaxies: starburst
Categories
Funding
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Chandra [GO6-7098X, GO7-8108A]
- SAO
- ICREA Funding Source: Custom
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We present X-ray data for a complete sample of 44 luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), obtained with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. These are the X-ray observations of the high luminosity portion of the Great Observatory All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS), which includes the most luminous infrared selected galaxies, log (L-ir/L-circle dot) >= 11.73, in the local universe, z <= 0.088. X-rays were detected from 43 out of 44 objects, and their arcsec-resolution images, spectra, and radial brightness distributions are presented. With a selection by hard X-ray colour and the 6.4 keV iron line, AGN are found in 37% of the objects, with higher luminosity sources more likely to contain an AGN. These AGN also tend to be found in late-stage mergers. The AGN fraction would increase to 48% if objects with [Ne v]lambda 14.3 mu m detection are included. Double AGN are clearly detected only in NGC 6240 among 24 double/triple systems. Other AGN are found either in single nucleus objects or in one of the double nuclei at similar rates. Objects without conventional X-ray signatures of AGN appear to be hard X-ray quiet, relative to the X-ray to far-IR correlation for starburst galaxies, as discussed elsewhere. Most objects also show extended soft X-ray emission, which is likely related to an outflow from the nuclear region, with a metal abundance pattern suggesting enrichment by core collapse supernovae, as expected for a starburst.
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