Program: GN-2024A-Q-228

We request Gemini IFU observations of RXJ1756.4+5235, which may be the first evidence of a 3-body galaxy merger that led to a large gravitational slingshot. RXJ1756.4+5235, a bright ROSAT-detected AGN was serendipitously discovered to be offset by 6.4'' and 6600 km/s (at z=0.094) from a luminous obscured AGN (at z=0.071) detected in the ultra hard X-rays by the Swift BAT. RXJ1756+5235 shows little/no host emission in deep optical and NIR HST images, and broad lines with a very weak/absent optical narrow line region of AGN-ionized gas). Based on the X-ray luminosity function, the likelihood of chance association of a luminous background QSO (with a luminous obscured AGN in such a small region is only 10^-7. We therefore hypothesize the two sources are likely linked, and may be the first evidence of a three-body kick to a bright quasar out of its host galaxy during a merger, that led to a high velocity recoiling black hole. If a spatially extended NLR is detected at z=0.094, the recoil hypothesis is much less likely due to the energetics of acceleration of such a large region. This Gemini observation will thus provide crucial evidence to confirm the recoil nature that would have major implications for our understanding of black hole mergers. This was a previously approved FT program cancelled due to data hacking.