Enigmatic emission structure around Mrk 783: cross-ionization of a companion in 100 kpc away

• Main Authors: Moiseev, Alexei V, Smirnova, Aleksandrina A, Movsessian, Tigran A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 20-11-2023
• Subjects: Physics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2311.12189

Mrk 783 is a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy that possesses a relatively large
two-sided radio emission extending up to 14 kpc from the active nucleus
possibly connected with a large-scale ionized gas emission. We obtained a deep
[OIII] image that revealed an extended system of emission knots and diffuse
ionized gas surrounding the main galaxy. The high-excited gas is related not
only with the radio structure, but also with tidal features illuminated by the
active nucleus radiation up to the projected distance 41 kpc as it follows from
the emission lines intensities and kinematics derived from the long-slit
spectroscopic data. Moreover the part of the disk of the companion galaxy SDSS
J130257.20+162537.1 located at 99 kpc projected distances to the north of Mrk
783 also falls in the AGN ionizing cone. It is possible that Mrk 783 can be
considered as `Hanny's Voorwerp precursor', i.e. a galaxy that demonstrates
signs of sequential switching from radio-loud to radio-quiet nuclear activity,
in the moment before falling of its ionization luminosity.