Abstract
We present Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) integral-field spectroscopy of ESO 253-G003, which hosts a known active galactic nucleus (AGN) and the periodic nuclear transient ASASSN-14ko, observed as part of the All-weather MUse Supernova Integral-field of Nearby Galaxies survey. The MUSE observations reveal that the inner region hosts two AGN separated by 1.4 ± 0.1 kpc (≈1.7). The brighter nucleus has asymmetric broad permitted emission-line profiles and is associated with the archival AGN designation. The fainter nucleus does not have a broad emission-line component but exhibits other AGN characteristics, including vFWHM ≈ 700 km s-1 forbidden line emission, log10([O III]/Hβ) ≈ 1.1, and high-excitation potential emission lines, such as [Fe VII] ?6086 and He II λ4686. The host galaxy exhibits a disturbed morphology with large kpc-scale tidal features, potential outflows from both nuclei, and a likely superbubble. A circular relativistic disc model cannot reproduce the asymmetric broad emission-line profiles in the brighter nucleus, but two non-axisymmetric disc models provide good fits to the broad emission-line profiles: An elliptical disc model and a circular disc + spiral arm model. Implications for the periodic nuclear transient ASASSN-14ko are discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 6014-6028 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |
Volume | 506 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2021 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science