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| Paper: |
An Intermediate-Mass Black Hole in the Dwarf Seyfert 1 Galaxy POX 52 |
| Volume: |
311, AGN Physics with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey |
| Page: |
91 |
| Authors: |
Barth, A.J.; Ho, L.C.; Sargent, W.L.W. |
| Abstract: |
We describe new observations of POX 52, a previously known but nearly forgotten example of a dwarf galaxy with an active nucleus. While POX 52 was originally thought to be a Seyfert 2 galaxy, the new data reveal an emission-line spectrum very similar to that of the dwarf Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4395, with clear broad components to the permitted line profiles. The host galaxy appears to be a dwarf elliptical; this is the only known case of a Seyfert nucleus in a galaxy of this type. Applying scaling relations to estimate the black hole mass from the broad Hβ linewidth and continuum luminosity, we find MBH ≈ 1.6 × 105 MSolar. The stellar velocity dispersion in the host galaxy is 36 km s-1, also suggestive of a black hole mass of order 105 MSolar. Further searches for AGNs in dwarf galaxies can provide crucial constraints on the demographics of black holes in the mass range below 106 MSolar. |
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