Program: GN-2012B-Q-25

Title:Dual AGN Triggering in Nearby Quasars
PI:Michael Koss
Co-I(s):

Abstract

As the most extreme example of the merger-driven AGN mode, the detection, frequency, and environments of dual AGN provide constraints on models of galaxy formation and black hole growth. Over the last decade, several nearby dual AGN on kpc scales have been discovered serendipitously in interacting galaxies,however, few systematic studies have been done. All mega spectroscopic surveys suffer severe biases against detecting dual AGN because of fiber collision limits. Additionally, some X-ray detected AGN are not detected optically or vice versa, it is critical that any study of dual AGN have both X-ray and optical spectroscopy. We propose optical spectroscopy of the companions of nearby quasars with X-ray observations for the first complete study of the frequency, environments, and luminosity dependence of dual AGN in quasars.

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