The IRAS galaxy 0421 + 040P06 - an active spiral (?) galaxy with extended radio lobes

Abstract

The infrared bright galaxy 0421 + 040P06 detected by IRAS at 25 and 60 μm has been studied at optical, infrared, and radio wavelengths. It is a luminous galaxy with apparent spiral structure emitting 4 x 10^(37) W (1 x 10^(11) L_☉) from far-infrared to optical wavelengths, assuming H_0 = 75 km s^(-1) Mpc^(-1). Optical spectroscopy reveals a Seyfert 2 emission-line spectrum, making 0421 +040P06 the first active galaxy selected from an unbiased infrared survey of galaxies. The fact that this galaxy shows a flatter energy distribution with more 25 μm emission than other galaxies in the infrared sample may be related to the presence of an intense active nucleus. The radio observations reveal the presence of a nonthermal source that, at 6 cm, shows a prominent double lobed structure 20-30 kpc in size extending beyond the optical confines of the galaxy. The radio source is 3-10 times larger than structures previously seen in spiral galaxies and may represent a transition between the relatively small, weak sources seen in some active spirals and the stronger, larger ones seen toward elliptical galaxies with active nuclei.

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