Low-frequency radio observations of Seyfert galaxies: A test of the unification scheme

Abstract

Aims. We present low-frequency radio imaging and spectral properties of a well-defined sample of Seyfert galaxies using GMRT 240/610 MHz dual frequency observations. Radio spectra of Seyfert galaxies over 240 MHz to 5.0 GHz are investigated using 240 MHz, 610 MHz flux densities derived from GMRT, and 1.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz flux densities mainly from published VLA data. We test the predictions of Seyfert unification scheme by comparing the radio properties of Seyfert type 1s and type 2s.

Methods. We chose a sample such that the two Seyferts subtypes have matched distributions in parameters that are independent of the orientation of AGN, obscuring torus, and the host galaxy. Our sample selection criteria allowed us to assume that the two Seyfert subtypes are intrinsically similar within the framework of the unification scheme.

Results. The new observations at 240/610 MHz, together with archival observations at 1.4 GHz, 5.0 GHz show that types 1s and 2s have statistically similar radio luminosity distributions at 240 MHz, 610 MHz, 1.4 GHz, and 5.0 GHz. The spectral indices at selected frequency intervals (α240 MHz610 MHz, α610 MHz1.4 GHz, and α1.4 GHz5.0 GHz), as well as index measured over 240 MHz to 5.0 GHz (αint) for the two Seyfert subtypes, have similar distributions with median spectral index (α) ~ −0.7 (Sν ∝ να), consistent with the synchrotron emission from optically thin plasma. In our snapshot 240/610 MHz GMRT observations, most of the Seyfert galaxies primarily show an unresolved central radio component, except for a few sources in which faint kpc-scale extended emission is apparent at 610 MHz. Our results on the statistical comparison of the multifrequency radio properties of our sample Seyfert galaxies agree with the predictions of the Seyfert unification scheme.