Investigation of Dual Active Nuclei, Outflows, Shock-heated Gas, and Young Star Clusters in Markarian 266

Abstract

Results of observations with the Spitzer, Hubble, GALEX, Chandra, and XMM-Newton space telescopes are presented for the luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) merger Markarian 266. The SW (Seyfert 2) and NE (LINER)nuclei reside in galaxies with Hubble types SBb (pec) and S0/a (pec), respectively. Both companions are more luminous than L ∗ galaxies and they are inferred to each contain a ≈ 2.5 × 108M black hole. Although the nuclei have an observed hard X-ray flux ratio of fX(NE)/fX(SW) = 6.4, Mrk 266 SW is likely the primary source of a bright Fe Kα line detected from the system, consistent with the reflection-dominated X-ray spectrum of a heavily obscured active galactic nucleus (AGN). Optical knots embedded in an arc with aligned radio continuum radiation, combined with luminous H2 line emission, provide evidence for a radiative bow shock in an AGN-driven outflow surrounding the NE nucleus. A soft X-ray emission feature modeled as shock-heated plasma with T ∼ 107 K is cospatial with radio continuum emission between the galaxies. Mid-infrared diagnostics provide mixed results, but overall suggest a composite system with roughly equal contributions of AGN and starburst radiation powering the bolometric luminosity. Approximately 120 star clusters have been detected, with most having estimated ages less than 50 Myr. Detection of 24μm emission aligned with soft X-rays, radio continuum, and ionized gas emission extending ∼34 (20 kpc) north of the galaxies is interpreted as ∼2 × 107M of dust entrained in an outflowing superwind. At optical wavelengths this Northern Loop region is resolved into a fragmented morphology indicative of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in an expanding shell of ionized gas. Mrk 266 demonstrates that the dust "blowout" phase can begin in a LIRG well before the galaxies fully coalesce during a subsequent ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) phase, and rapid gas consumption in luminous dual AGNs with kiloparsec-scale separations early in the merger process may explain the paucity of detected binary QSOs (with parsec-scale orbital separations) in spectroscopic surveys. An evolutionary sequence is proposed representing a progression from dual to binary AGNs, accompanied by an increase in observed Lx/Lir ratios by over two orders of magnitude.