On the Radial Velocity Offset for [OIII] Emission Line of LINER Galaxies

  • Bae, Hyun-Jin (Center for Galaxy Evolution Research and Department of Astronomy, Yonsei University) ;
  • Woo, Jong-Hak (Astronomy Program, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University) ;
  • Yagi, Masafumi (Optical and Infrared Astronomy Division, NAOJ) ;
  • Yoon, Suk-Jin (Center for Galaxy Evolution Research and Department of Astronomy, Yonsei University) ;
  • Yoshida, Michitoshi (Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University)
  • Published : 2012.04.03

Abstract

Low-ionization nuclear emission-line region (LINER) galaxies constitute a major fraction of low-luminosity AGN population in the local Universe. In contrast to Seyfert galaxies, it is theoretically expected that LINERs would not have an outflow due to their low Eddington ratio. Using Keck/LRIS spectroscopy on a nearby LINER galaxy SDSS J091628.05+420818.7, we find a significant radial velocity offset for [OIII]${\lambda}$5007 emission line as - 50 km $s^{-1}$ blueshifted compared to systemic velocity of the galaxy, while other emission lines exhibit no or little offset. The observed [OIII] velocity offset possibly indicates an outflow of gas in the LINER galaxy, and it is probable that we only detected the [OIII] velocity offset because [OIII] ionization region is closer to the accretion disk, hence, more affected by an outflow. We further investigate the [OIII] velocity offset of -4000 SDSS AGN-host galaxies to compare the strength of AGN outflow. We find that a number of both LINER and Seyfert galaxies show [OIII] velocity offset, but the fraction of LINER galaxies with velocity offset is smaller than that of Seyfert galaxies. The preliminary results imply the presence of gas outflow in LINER galaxies, although outflow strength is probably weaker compared to Seyfert galaxies.

Keywords