UGC 5101 has a single nucleus surrounded by spiral isophotes.[3] The nucleus of UGC 5101 has been found to be
active and it has been categorised as a type 1.5
Seyfert galaxy or a
LINER based on the radio continuum.[4][5] The most accepted theory for the energy source of active galactic nuclei is the presence of an
accretion disk around a
supermassive black hole. The mass of the black hole in the centre of UGC 5101 is estimated to be 108.2 (160 million)
M☉ based on stellar
velocity dispersion.[6]
The galaxy also hosts a water
megamaser, probably originating from the nucleus.[7]
The nucleus emits hard X-rays, which are strongly absorbed, while there is also a soft X-rays component, which could originate from a hidden
starburst region.[8] Also NeV emission has been detected in the nucleus, indicating the presence of a hot gas in the coronal line region, while hot dust has been detected around the nucleus, as indicated by the presence of
PAH emission and strong silicate absorption.[9][10][11] The nucleus is surrounded by a dust torus with an opening angle larger than 41° which partly obstructs the nucleus with a column density of NHLS about 1.3×1024 cm−2. The hole of the torus is covered with compton thin material.[12] The integrated intensities of HCN to 13CO indicate the gas in the torus is very dense.[13] When observed with
very-long-baseline interferometry the galaxy features a ridgeline that could be compact jets generated by the active nucleus.[14]
The galaxy has a
tidal tail, seen edge on, and a faint halo of stars that was created during the merger.[15] A second tidal tail appears to loop around the nucleus, forming a ring.[3]
See also
NGC 6240 and
Markarian 273 - two other near ultraluminous infrared galaxies with active nuclei
^Esposito, Federico; Vallini, Livia; Pozzi, Francesca; Casasola, Viviana; Mingozzi, Matilde; Vignali, Cristian; Gruppioni, Carlotta; Salvestrini, Francesco (16 March 2022). "AGN impact on the molecular gas in galactic centres as probed by CO lines". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 512 (1): 686–711.
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^Abrahamyan, H. V.; Mickaelian, A. M.; Paronyan, G. M.; Mikayelyan, G. A. (September 2020). "Classification by Activity Type of a Sample of Active Galaxies with Radio Emission". Astrophysics. 63 (3): 322–333.
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^Armus, L.; Charmandaris, V.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Spoon, H. W. W.; Marshall, J. A.; Higdon, S. J. U.; Desai, V.; Teplitz, H. I.; Hao, L.; Devost, D.; Brandl, B. R.; Wu, Y.; Sloan, G. C.; Soifer, B. T.; Houck, J. R.; Herter, T. L. (10 February 2007). "Observations of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope . II. The IRAS Bright Galaxy Sample". The Astrophysical Journal. 656 (1): 148–167.
arXiv:astro-ph/0610218.
Bibcode:
2007ApJ...656..148A.
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^Martínez-Paredes, M.; Alonso-Herrero, A.; Aretxaga, I.; Ramos Almeida, C.; Hernán-Caballero, A.; González-Martín, O.; Pereira-Santaella, M.; Packham, C.; Asensio Ramos, A.; Díaz-Santos, T.; Elitzur, M.; Esquej, P.; García-Bernete, I.; Imanishi, M.; Levenson, N. A.; Rodríguez Espinosa, J. M. (21 December 2015). "A deep look at the nuclear region of UGC 5101 through high angular resolution mid-IR data with GTC/CanariCam". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 454 (4): 3577–3589.
arXiv:1509.04396.
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10.1093/mnras/stv2134.
^Armus, L.; Charmandaris, V.; Spoon, H. W. W.; Houck, J. R.; Soifer, B. T.; Brandl, B. R.; Appleton, P. N.; Teplitz, H. I.; Higdon, S. J. U.; Weedman, D. W.; Devost, D.; Morris, P. W.; Uchida, K. I.; van Cleve, J.; Barry, D. J.; Sloan, G. C.; Grillmair, C. J.; Burgdorf, M. J.; Fajardo-Acosta, S. B.; Ingalls, J. G.; Higdon, J.; Hao, L.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Herter, T.; Troeltzsch, J.; Unruh, B.; Winghart, M. (September 2004). "Observations of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies with the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope : Early Results on Markarian 1014, Markarian 463, and UGC 5101". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 154 (1): 178–183.
arXiv:astro-ph/0406179.
Bibcode:
2004ApJS..154..178A.
doi:
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S2CID43204883.
^Cruz-González, I; Gómez-Ruiz, A I; Caldú-Primo, A; Benítez, E; Rodríguez-Espinosa, J M; Krongold, Y; Aretxaga, I; Snell, R; González-Martin, O; Negrete, C A; Narayanan, G; Hughes, D H; Yun, M S; Fazio, G G; Chavushyan, V; Hiriart, D; Jiménez-Bailón, E; Herrera-Endoqui, M; Martínez-Paredes, M; González, J J (17 October 2020).
"Early science with the LMT: molecular torus in UGC 5101". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 499 (2): 2042–2050.
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^Lonsdale, Carol J.; Lonsdale, Colin J.; Smith, Harding E.; Diamond, Philip J. (August 2003). "VLBI Imaging of Luminous Infrared Galaxies: Active Galactic Nucleus Cores in Markarian 231, UGC 5101, and NGC 7469". The Astrophysical Journal. 592 (2): 804–818.
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^"UGC 5101". www.spacetelescope.org. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2023.