The relation between the environment and nuclear activity in nearby QSOs: Defining a control sample

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, we aim to investigate the relation between nuclear activity and the environment for luminous (L[O III] >7.63 × 1041 erg s–1) Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) - that, at these luminosities are classified as quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) - using a sample of 436 type 2 QSOs. Recent studies suggest that there is an excess of interacting hosts in luminous AGN, indicating that interactions trigger the nuclear activity. In order to examine this, it is necessary to select a control sample of non-active galaxies, matched to the active ones by the properties of the host galaxies, such as distance and stellar mass. We present here the results of the search for such a control sample.