Evidence for interactions in H I imaging of Seyfert galaxies

Abstract

We still do not know the primary trigger of local active galactic nuclei. Tidal torques and nuclear bars are often invoked to explain gas infall onto the central supermassive black hole, but as yet neither has definitive observational support. Here we exploit the sensitivity and endurance of H I to trace the strength and prevalence of tidal interactions among Seyfert galaxies. To minimize selection biases, we survey the 27 northern Seyferts compiled in the comprehensive optical catalog of Véron-Cetty & Véron lying in the narrow redshift range 0.015-0.017. This paper is a detailed presentation of a subsample, including channel maps for all systems. In addition to the program objects, we also investigate galaxies imaged in the field.