Abstract

We present results from an analysis of Hα, [OIII] images and long slit spectroscopy of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC5953. These show that the nucleus is extended in the northeast direction and surrounded by a vigorous burst of recent star formation.

Introduction

Some interacting Seyfert galaxies show strong circumnuclear emission associated with recent star formation, and one good example of these objects is NGC 5953. This Sa galaxy has a Seyfert 2 nucleus and is in interaction with the late type Scd galaxy NGC 5954 which has a LINER type nucleus, shows distorted spiral arms and is located 44″ to the northeast of NGC 5953.

The radio continuum map at 1.4 GHz shows a diffuse structure over the main body of the galaxy and an enhanced extended component NE of the nucleus. There is a local maximum at p.a. 90°, 5” from the nucleus (Jenkins 1984); this component has been identified with a supergiant HII region (Rafanelli et al., 1990)

We present narrow band images in Hα, [OIII]λ5007 and the nearby continuum, that were obtained with the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope, using the Taurus II box in imaging mode with the f/4 camera. The spatial resolution was 0.27″/pixel. In addition we obtained long-slit spectroscopy with the IDS spectrograph at the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope. We used an EEV CCD detector with a spatial resolution of 0.6″/pixel, covering the spectral regions 3300–5200 Å and 5000–6900 Å. A slit of width 1.5″ was oriented in the position angle 44°.