Studying large-scale environments of narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies gives a new perspective on their properties, particularly their radio loudness. The large-scale environment is believed to have an impact on the evolution and intrinsic properties of galaxies, however, NLS1 sources have not been studied in this context before. We have a large and diverse sample of 1341 NLS1 galaxies and three separate environment data sets constructed using Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We use various statistical methods to investigate how the properties of NLS1 galaxies are connected to the large-scale environment, and compare the large-scale environments of NLS1 galaxies with other active galactic nuclei (AGN) classes, for example, other jetted AGN and broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLS1) galaxies, to study how they are related. NLS1 galaxies reside in less dense environments than any of the comparison samples, thus confirming their young age. The average large-scale environment density and environmental distribution of NLS1 sources is clearly different compared to BLS1 galaxies, thus it is improbable that they could be the parent population of NLS1 galaxies and unified by orientation. Within the NLS1 class there is a trend of increasing radio loudness with increasing large-scale environment density, indicating that the large-scale environment affects their intrinsic properties. Our results suggest that the NLS1 class of sources is not homogeneous, and furthermore, that a considerable fraction of them are misclassified. We further support a published proposal to replace the traditional classification to radio-loud, and radio-quiet or radio-silent sources with a division into jetted and non-jetted sources.
Context. The nature versus nurture scenario in galaxy and group evolution is a long-standing problem not yet fully understood on cosmological scales. Aims. We study the properties of groups and their central galaxies in different large-scale environments defined by the luminosity density field and the cosmic web filaments. Methods. We use the luminosity density field constructed using 8 h −1 Mpc smoothing to characterize the large-scale environments. We use the Bisous model to extract the filamentary structures in different large-scale environments. We study the properties of galaxy groups as a function of their dynamical mass in different large-scale environments. Results. We find differences in the properties of central galaxies and their groups in and outside of filaments at fixed halo and largescale environments. In high-density environments, the group mass function has higher number densities in filaments compared to that outside of filaments towards the massive end. The relation is opposite in low-density environments. At fixed group mass and largescale luminosity density, mass-to-light ratios show that groups in filaments are slightly more luminous than those outside of filaments. At fixed group mass and large-scale luminosity density, central galaxies in filaments have redder colors, higher stellar masses, and lower specific star formation rates than those outside of filaments. However, the differences in central galaxy and group properties in and outside of filaments are not clear in some group mass bins. We show that the differences in central galaxy properties are due to the higher abundances of elliptical galaxies in filaments. Conclusions. Filamentary structures in the cosmic web are not simply visual associations of galaxies, but rather play an important role in shaping the properties of groups and their central galaxies. The differences in central galaxy and group properties in and outside of cosmic web filaments are not simple effects related to large-scale environmental density. The results point towards an efficient mechanism in cosmic web filaments which quench star formation and transform central galaxy morphology from late to early types.
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