The X-ray emission of local luminous infrared galaxies

M. Pereira-Santaella; A. Alonso-Herrero; M. Santos-Lleo; L. Colina; E. Jiménez-Bailón; A. L. Longinotti; G. H. Rieke; M. Ward; P. Esquej

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201117420

The X-ray emission of local luminous infrared galaxies

M. Pereira-Santaella, A. Alonso-Herrero, M. Santos-Lleo, L. Colina, E. Jiménez-Bailón, A. L. Longinotti, G. H. Rieke, M. Ward, P. Esquej

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Abstract

We study the X-ray emission of a representative sample of 27 local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). The median IR luminosity of our sample is log L _IR/L_⊙ = 11.2, therefore the low-luminosity end of the LIRG class is well represented. We used new XMM-Newton data as well as Chandra and XMM-Newton archive data. The soft X-ray (0.5-2? keV) emission of most of the galaxies (>80%), including LIRGs hosting a Seyfert 2 nucleus, is dominated by star-formation-related processes. These LIRGs follow the star-formation rate (SFR) versus soft X-ray luminosity correlation observed in local starbursts. We find that ∼15% of the non-Seyfert LIRGs (3 out of 20) have an excessively hard X-ray emission relative to that expected from star-formation, which might indicate the presence of an obscured AGN. The rest of the non-Seyfert LIRGs follow the SFR versus hard X-ray (2-10? keV) luminosity correlation of local starbursts. The non-detection of the 6.4? keV Fe? Kα emission line in the non-Seyfert LIRGs allows us to put an upper limit on the bolometric luminosity of an obscured AGN, L_bol <10⁴³? erg? s^-1. That is, if these galaxies were hosting a low-luminosity AGN, its contribution to the total luminosity would be less than 10%. Finally we estimate that the AGN contribution to the total luminosity for our sample of local LIRGs is between 7% and 10%.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	A93
Journal	Astronomy and astrophysics
Volume	535
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201117420
State	Published - 2011

Keywords

X-ray: galaxies
galaxies: active
galaxies: starburst

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1051/0004-6361/201117420

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@article{96dfee97fc154a438e8888281ec2544b,

title = "The X-ray emission of local luminous infrared galaxies",

abstract = "We study the X-ray emission of a representative sample of 27 local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). The median IR luminosity of our sample is log L IR/L⊙ = 11.2, therefore the low-luminosity end of the LIRG class is well represented. We used new XMM-Newton data as well as Chandra and XMM-Newton archive data. The soft X-ray (0.5-2? keV) emission of most of the galaxies (>80%), including LIRGs hosting a Seyfert 2 nucleus, is dominated by star-formation-related processes. These LIRGs follow the star-formation rate (SFR) versus soft X-ray luminosity correlation observed in local starbursts. We find that ∼15% of the non-Seyfert LIRGs (3 out of 20) have an excessively hard X-ray emission relative to that expected from star-formation, which might indicate the presence of an obscured AGN. The rest of the non-Seyfert LIRGs follow the SFR versus hard X-ray (2-10? keV) luminosity correlation of local starbursts. The non-detection of the 6.4? keV Fe? Kα emission line in the non-Seyfert LIRGs allows us to put an upper limit on the bolometric luminosity of an obscured AGN, Lbol <1043? erg? s-1. That is, if these galaxies were hosting a low-luminosity AGN, its contribution to the total luminosity would be less than 10%. Finally we estimate that the AGN contribution to the total luminosity for our sample of local LIRGs is between 7% and 10%.",

keywords = "X-ray: galaxies, galaxies: active, galaxies: starburst",

author = "M. Pereira-Santaella and A. Alonso-Herrero and M. Santos-Lleo and L. Colina and E. Jim{\'e}nez-Bail{\'o}n and Longinotti, {A. L.} and Rieke, {G. H.} and M. Ward and P. Esquej",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the anonymous referee for useful comments and suggestions. The authors thank C. Done for helpful discussion. M.P.-S. thanks the Durham University for their hospitality during his stay while part of this work was done. M.P.-S. also acknowledges support from the CSIC under grant JAE-Predoc-2007. A.A.-H. and M.P.-S. acknowledge support from the Spanish Plan Nacional del Espacio under grant ESP2007-65475-C02-01 and Plan Nacional de Astronom{\'i}a y Astrof{\'i}sica AYA2009-05705-E. This work is based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA). This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.",

year = "2011",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201117420",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "535",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "EDP Sciences",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - The X-ray emission of local luminous infrared galaxies

AU - Pereira-Santaella, M.

AU - Alonso-Herrero, A.

AU - Santos-Lleo, M.

AU - Colina, L.

AU - Jiménez-Bailón, E.

AU - Longinotti, A. L.

AU - Rieke, G. H.

AU - Ward, M.

AU - Esquej, P.

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the anonymous referee for useful comments and suggestions. The authors thank C. Done for helpful discussion. M.P.-S. thanks the Durham University for their hospitality during his stay while part of this work was done. M.P.-S. also acknowledges support from the CSIC under grant JAE-Predoc-2007. A.A.-H. and M.P.-S. acknowledge support from the Spanish Plan Nacional del Espacio under grant ESP2007-65475-C02-01 and Plan Nacional de Astronomía y Astrofísica AYA2009-05705-E. This work is based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA). This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED), which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - We study the X-ray emission of a representative sample of 27 local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). The median IR luminosity of our sample is log L IR/L⊙ = 11.2, therefore the low-luminosity end of the LIRG class is well represented. We used new XMM-Newton data as well as Chandra and XMM-Newton archive data. The soft X-ray (0.5-2? keV) emission of most of the galaxies (>80%), including LIRGs hosting a Seyfert 2 nucleus, is dominated by star-formation-related processes. These LIRGs follow the star-formation rate (SFR) versus soft X-ray luminosity correlation observed in local starbursts. We find that ∼15% of the non-Seyfert LIRGs (3 out of 20) have an excessively hard X-ray emission relative to that expected from star-formation, which might indicate the presence of an obscured AGN. The rest of the non-Seyfert LIRGs follow the SFR versus hard X-ray (2-10? keV) luminosity correlation of local starbursts. The non-detection of the 6.4? keV Fe? Kα emission line in the non-Seyfert LIRGs allows us to put an upper limit on the bolometric luminosity of an obscured AGN, Lbol <1043? erg? s-1. That is, if these galaxies were hosting a low-luminosity AGN, its contribution to the total luminosity would be less than 10%. Finally we estimate that the AGN contribution to the total luminosity for our sample of local LIRGs is between 7% and 10%.

AB - We study the X-ray emission of a representative sample of 27 local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs). The median IR luminosity of our sample is log L IR/L⊙ = 11.2, therefore the low-luminosity end of the LIRG class is well represented. We used new XMM-Newton data as well as Chandra and XMM-Newton archive data. The soft X-ray (0.5-2? keV) emission of most of the galaxies (>80%), including LIRGs hosting a Seyfert 2 nucleus, is dominated by star-formation-related processes. These LIRGs follow the star-formation rate (SFR) versus soft X-ray luminosity correlation observed in local starbursts. We find that ∼15% of the non-Seyfert LIRGs (3 out of 20) have an excessively hard X-ray emission relative to that expected from star-formation, which might indicate the presence of an obscured AGN. The rest of the non-Seyfert LIRGs follow the SFR versus hard X-ray (2-10? keV) luminosity correlation of local starbursts. The non-detection of the 6.4? keV Fe? Kα emission line in the non-Seyfert LIRGs allows us to put an upper limit on the bolometric luminosity of an obscured AGN, Lbol <1043? erg? s-1. That is, if these galaxies were hosting a low-luminosity AGN, its contribution to the total luminosity would be less than 10%. Finally we estimate that the AGN contribution to the total luminosity for our sample of local LIRGs is between 7% and 10%.

KW - X-ray: galaxies

KW - galaxies: active

KW - galaxies: starburst

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U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201117420

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201117420

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:81355151233

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 535

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A93

ER -

The X-ray emission of local luminous infrared galaxies

Abstract

Keywords

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