Seyfert galaxies in UZC-Compact Groups

¹ Alma Mater Studiorum – Dipartimento di Astronomia, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
² INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy

Corresponding author: B. Kelm, birgit.kelm@unibo.it

Received: 8 September 2003
Accepted: 6 January 2004

Abstract

We present results concerning the occurrence of Seyfert galaxies in a new automatically selected sample of nearby Compact Groups of galaxies (UZC-CGs). Seventeen Seyferts are found, constituting ~3% of the UZC-CG galaxy population. CGs hosting and non-hosting a Seyfert member exhibit no significant differences, except that a relevant number of Sy2 is found in unusual CGs, all presenting large velocity dispersion ( km s^-1), many neighbours and a high number of ellipticals. We also find that the fraction of Seyferts in CGs is 3 times as large as that among UZC-single-galaxies, and results from an excess of Sy2s. CG-Seyferts are not more likely than other CG galaxies to present major interaction patterns, nor to display a bar. Our results indirectly support the minor-merging fueling mechanism.