The X-ray Emission from the Nucleus of the Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy

We present the first high resolution X-ray image of the dwarf elliptical galaxy NGC 3226. The data were obtained during an observation of the nearby Seyfert Galaxy NGC 3227 using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We detect a point X-ray source spatially consistent with the optical nucleus of NGC 3226 and a recently-detected, compact, flat-spectrum, radio source. The X-ray spectrum can be measured up to ∼10 keV and is consistent with a power law with a photon index 1.7 . Γ . 2.2, or thermal bremmstrahlung emission with 4 . kT . 10 keV. In both cases the luminosity in the 2–10 keV band ≃ 1040h 75 erg s . We find marginal evidence that the nucleus varies within the observation. These characteristics support evidence from other wavebands that NGC 3226 harbors a low-luminosity, active nucleus. We also comment on two previously-unknown, fainter X-ray sources . 15 arcsec from the nucleus of NGC 3226. Their proximity to the nucleus (with projected distances . 1.3h 75 kpc) suggests both are within NGC 3226, and thus have luminosities (∼few×10–few×10 erg s) consistent with black-hole binary systems. Subject headings: galaxies: dwarf – galaxies: active – galaxies: individual (NGC 3226) – galaxies: nuclei – X-rays: galaxies – X-rays: binaries