A CCD study of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783

FORTE, JUAN CARLOS; E. IRENE VEGA; FEINSTEIN CARLOS; CALDERON, JESUS

ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL

IOP PUBLISHING LTD

Lugar: Seatle; Año: 1987 vol. 93 p. 301 - 309

0004-6256

This paper presents a CCD broadband study of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783. The photometric behavior of the different components of the galaxy is analyzed in an attempt to isolate the BV-RIKC monochromatic continuum flux coming from the innermost nucleus. The observed flux distribution is combined with published far-ultraviolet and near-infrared measures. The existence of two main spectral components is suggested. One of these dominates the near infrared with a "pure" power law spectrum, while the other has a peak in the optical range and becomes a power law in the far UV. The latter component is interpreted in terms of synchrotron emission as has been suggested by Barr et al. Image processing shows the existence of faint bridges which connect the nuclear regions with the annular structure of the galaxy. The color of these structures is rather blue compared to the underlying disk. A tentative explanation is that a significant fraction of their brightness may come from nuclear light scattered by electrons moving along a jet stream.