Program: GN-2012A-Q-2

High spatial resolution Chandra X-ray image has recently revealed that the central region of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 3393 contains a close pair of obscured AGNs. However, the host galaxy does not exhibit the disrupted morphology and vigorous star formation seen in NGC 6240, another double AGN. NGC 3393 therefore resembles a merging scenario with a smaller companion - the minor merger evolution that has long been sought for. We propose to perform spatially resolved, integral field K-band spectroscopic observations of NGC 3393 with Gemini+NIFS and the laser guide star system. We will measure the relative velocities and masses of the two nuclei, and the gas/stellar dynamics in this rare and important merging system, which will provide clues on the geometry and stage of the merger process.