Seyfert Galaxies: Probing the Active Nuclei of Nearby Galaxies

A special issue of Universe (ISSN 2218-1997). This special issue belongs to the section "Galaxies and Clusters".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 1445

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Instituto de Pesquisa & Desenvolvimento, Universidade do Vale do Paraíba, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
Interests: chemical abundance determinations in gaseous nebulae and in active galactic nuclei; extragalactic astronomy; galaxy evolution; galaxy formation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seyfert galaxies are a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) characterized by the presence of actively accreting supermassive black holes at their centers. These galaxies exhibit high luminosities, particularly in the optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray bands, making them crucial objects for understanding the processes governing AGN activity and galaxy evolution. Due to their relative proximity, Seyfert galaxies offer a unique opportunity to observe the mechanisms fueling black hole accretion and to explore how this activity interacts with other galactic components.

Over the past several decades, Seyfert galaxies have served as astrophysical laboratories for investigating the complex interplay among black hole growth, star formation, and feedback processes within the interstellar medium. Their observable characteristics—such as emission line regions, radio jets, and variability—allow researchers to probe the physics of accretion disks, narrow-line and broad-line regions, and host galaxy morphology with high spatial and spectral resolution.

Furthermore, by comparing the properties of nearby Seyfert galaxies with those of more distant, early-formed galaxies, we gain insights into the cosmic evolution of AGNs and their role in the reionization and chemical enrichment of the universe. This Special Issue aims to bring together recent advances in observational and theoretical studies of Seyfert galaxies to deepen our understanding of AGN–host galaxy co-evolution across cosmic time.

Dr. Oli Luiz Dors
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • galaxies: abundances
  • ISM: abundances
  • galaxies: nuclei
  • galaxies: active
  • galaxies: high redshift
  • galaxies: reionization

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 906 KB  
Article
Optical Variability and Evidence for a Changing-Look Event in the Galaxy Mrk 6 (IC 450)
by Saule Shomshekova, Gaukhar Aimanova, Nazim Huseynov, Ayazhan Temirzhanova, Diana Nasirova, Inna Reva, Daulet Anarbek and Alexander Serebryanskiy
Universe 2026, 12(4), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12040104 - 2 Apr 2026
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Abstract
In this work, the light curve of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 6 constructed from photometric observations in the B, V, and Rc filters over the period from 5 April 2016 to 1 February 2026 is presented and analyzed. Over the [...] Read more.
In this work, the light curve of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 6 constructed from photometric observations in the B, V, and Rc filters over the period from 5 April 2016 to 1 February 2026 is presented and analyzed. Over the entire monitoring interval (2016–2026), the variability amplitude of the light curve reaches ΔB=1.9 mag, ΔV=1.5 mag, and ΔRc=1.4 mag. During 2024–2026, the galaxy exhibits synchronous photometric variability in the B, V, and Rc filters with an amplitude of ∼0.3 mag. The study also uses spectroscopic observations obtained on 15 and 22 November 2025 and 16 February 2026 at the Shamakhy Astrophysical Observatory (Azerbaijan), as well as on 9 January 2026 at the Fesenkov Astrophysical Institute (Kazakhstan). The fluxes in the Hβ emission line were calibrated using the [O III] λ5007 Å line, ensuring consistent relative calibration of the spectral data. A comparison of the optical spectra reveals a pronounced transformation of the Hβ line profile between November 2025 and January 2026. The broad component, clearly present in November 2025, becomes strongly suppressed and nearly disappears in January 2026, while the narrow emission lines remain stable. This behavior is consistent with a changing-look transition, indicating a temporary weakening of the broad-line region emission. The radius of the broad-line region RBLR was taken to be equal to the average time delays (lags), amounting to ≈20 light days for the Hβ emission and ≈28 light days for the Hα. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Seyfert Galaxies: Probing the Active Nuclei of Nearby Galaxies)
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