Markarian 463 is a late stagegalaxy merger, a product of two gas-richspiral galaxies colliding with one another. According tooptical andnear-infrared observations, the galaxy is shown to have a complex morphology withstar forming clumps and curvedtidal tails.[4] It has a luminosity of LIR (8–1000μm) = 1011.8 LΘ making it aluminous infrared galaxy.[5] It contains a compact radio flux in either linear or elongated structure.[6] Using spectra captured by the Infrared Spectrograph installed onSpitzer Space Telescope,emission lines are detected in Markarian 463 hinting a warm supply of molecular gas.[7]
A broadbandX-ray spectral analysis revealed obscured two nuclei designated as Markarian 463W and Markarian 463E, with an estimated projected separation of ~ 3.8 kiloparsec.[8] This finding makes the galaxy a dualactive galactic nucleus[9] and is the third closest physical pair known afterNGC 6240 andNGC 3758.[8] The two nuclei has a luminosity of L2–10keV =1.5×1043 and3.8×1042 erg cm−2 s−1.[10] Both are active and are expected to drawn close to each other over timescales of 108 years.[4]
The western nucleus has a moderate radio luminosity equivalent of an extremely luminousstarburst galaxy or a Seyfert galaxy through imaging detections at 6 and 20 centimeters.[11] The eastern nucleus however, is much brighter compared to the western nucleus, and is classfied a type IISeyfert galaxy. It is found offset from its peak flux and showspolarized conical wind. With a half-opening angle of ~ 15 degrees, its wind displays three mass ejection periods.[12] Using infraredspectroscopy, the eastern nucleus hosts a hidden Seyfert 1 nucleus located southwards but not co-spatial.[13]
According toChandra X-ray data, thesupermassive black hole in the nucleus of Markarian 463E has a much higheraccretion rate of ~ 5x. It is also associated withemission and continuum lines. It is also shown it is older compared the nucleus of Markarian 463W, given the northern outflowing cloud and southern emission region appears generally aligned with the biconical gradient. An ALMA12CO (2–1) observation also finds the two nuclei have molecular gas reservoirs estimated of ~ 109 MΘ and ~ 5 × 108 MΘ respectively. Given enough molecular gas provided, it is enough to feed both black holes in the galaxy.[4]
Markarian 463 has anoptical jet originating from the Seyfert nucleus according toHubble Space Telescope imaging. The jet is found to reach the end at theradio source found 1.2 arcsecs away, and is measured 0.84 arcsecs with aposition angle of 182 degrees.[14]
