TY - JOUR
T1 - Starburst or Seyfert? Using near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the activity in composite galaxies
AU - Hill, Tanya L.
AU - Heisler, Charlene A.
AU - Sutherland, Ralph
AU - Hunstead, Richard W.
PY - 1999/1
Y1 - 1999/1
N2 - We present near-infrared spectra for a sample of galaxies with ambiguous optical emission-line ratios. These galaxies fall between starbursts and Seyferts in the usual optical diagnostic diagrams. We find a similar result with the near-infrared emission-line ratios, which suggests that the galaxies are composite, containing both a starburst and an AGN component. Furthermore, CO absorption, produced in late-type stars, is detected within the sample, although at a weaker level than is typical for starburst galaxies. We conclude that the CO feature is being diluted by a contribution from an AGN, thereby confirming the composite nature of these galaxies.
AB - We present near-infrared spectra for a sample of galaxies with ambiguous optical emission-line ratios. These galaxies fall between starbursts and Seyferts in the usual optical diagnostic diagrams. We find a similar result with the near-infrared emission-line ratios, which suggests that the galaxies are composite, containing both a starburst and an AGN component. Furthermore, CO absorption, produced in late-type stars, is detected within the sample, although at a weaker level than is typical for starburst galaxies. We conclude that the CO feature is being diluted by a contribution from an AGN, thereby confirming the composite nature of these galaxies.
KW - Galaxies: Seyfert
KW - Galaxies: active
KW - Galaxies: starburst
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0040560137&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/300666
DO - 10.1086/300666
M3 - Article
SN - 0004-6256
VL - 117
SP - 111
EP - 125
JO - Astronomical Journal
JF - Astronomical Journal
IS - 1
ER -