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Session 4 - Low Luminosity AGN and Starburst Galaxies.
Display session, Monday, June 10
Tripp Commons,

[4.12] Host Galaxy and Nuclear Luminosities of Seyfert 1 Galaxies

J. W. MacKenty, C. H. Nelson (STScI), S. M. Simkin (MSU)

While studies of luminous QSO have found evidence for relationships between host galaxy mass and the strength of the nuclear source (e.g. Hutchings et al. 1984), recent HST observations of luminous QSOs have produced some controversy (e.g. Bahcall et al. 1994,1995). The limitations resulting from the small angular sizes of the host galaxies and the high nuclear luminosities can be reduced both by using HST's resolution and by studying Seyfert 1 galaxies, thought to be low-luminosity analogues of QSOs. From HST observations with the WF/PC-1 we determine the absolute magnitudes of the host galaxies and the unresolved nuclear sources in our sample (MacKenty 1990) of 38 Seyfert 1 galaxies. This sample is limited by total luminosity so a broad range of ratios of nucleus to host galaxy luminosity is present. This decomposition is possible from the HST images as a consequence of the unresolved nature of Seyfert 1 nuclei (Nelson et al. 1996).

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