Mid-infrared Properties of Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Galaxies Detected by LoTSS DR2

Abstract

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s), a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in an early stage of the accretion process, are also found to host relativistic jets. However, currently known jetted NLS1s are rare. The majority of NLS1s are undetected at the radio band. The radio detection rate of NLS1s increases with the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS), which provides a good opportunity for finding more jetted NLS1s. The better sensitivity raises the question whether the radio emission of NLS1s with a low radio luminosity originates from the jet activity. In order to clarify the origin of the radio emission for NLS1s and search for more jetted NLS1s, we explore the mid-infrared properties of LoTSS-detected NLS1s by comparing them with known jetted AGNs and star-forming galaxies (SFGs), which are located above and on the well-studied radio/far-infrared correlation, respectively. The majority of NLS1s show mid-infrared (MIR) excess compared with SFGs. Their radio emission shows a significant correlation with the MIR emission. In the MIR color–color diagram, NLS1s overlap flat spectrum radio quasars, but they are well separated from SFGs and optically selected radio galaxies. The flux ratio of the radio and MIR emission of these NLS1s is also similar to that of a radio-quiet quasar with a weak jet. These results imply substantial contributions from the AGN activities for both the radio and MIR emission of NLS1s. A small fraction of NLS1s with relatively higher radio luminosities are located in a similar region as blazars in the radio-MIR diagram, which suggests that the radio emission of these NLS1s is dominated by the jet. We obtain a sample of jetted NLS1 candidates through their radio excess in the radio-MIR diagram.