Program: GN-2013A-Q-40

We have discovered evidence for a tidal tail in recent {\it HST} images of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk~509 within $\sim$2\arcsecpoint2 ($\sim$1.5 kpc) of its active nucleus. We propose NIFS observations of the central regions of Mrk~509 to test the hypothesis that this feature results from a minor merger with a gas-rich dwarf galaxy, by determining the kinematics and geometries of the stars, ionized gas, and warm molecular gas in the circumnuclear region. This is the current hypothesis for the fueling of low to moderate luminosity AGN, but has never before been witnessed or quantified. Our proposed observations provide a unique opportunity to explore this fueling process, via a detailed kinematic study of the different gas phases in this galaxy, looking in particular for an inflow associated with the tidal feature, disturbed stellar kinematics from the merger, and/or recent star formation triggered by the inflow.