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J. Greene (CfA), J. Lim (ASIAA), P.T.P. Ho (SAO)
We still do not know how gas is accreted onto the centers of active galactic nuclei. Tidal torques and nuclear bars are often invoked to dissipate angular momentum in the gas, but as yet neither has definitive observational support. We exploit the sensitivity and endurance of HI to trace the strength and prevalance of tidal interactions among Seyfert galaxies. To minimize selection biases, we are surveying the twenty-seven northern Seyferts compiled in the comprehensive optical catalog of Véron-Cetty & Véron (1998) lying in the narrow redshift range 0.015--0.017. We present six members of the sample, which demonstrate the general trends observed in the data so far. We find a prevalance of nearby gas--rich companions even when no counterpart is easily detected in the optical. Many of our galaxies show evidence either for ongoing interactions in the form of tidal bridges or perturbations in the velocity field as a result of previous interaction.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #4
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.