The NGC 3341 minor merger: a panchromatic view of the active galactic nucleus in a dwarf companion

We present X-ray (Chandra), radio (Expanded Very Large Array and European VLBI Network) and archival optical data of the triple-merging system in NGC 3341. Our panchromatic analysis confirms the presence of a Seyfert 2 active galactic nucleus (AGN) in NGC 3341B, one of the secondary dwarf companions. On the other hand, the nucleus of the primary galaxy, consistent with a star-forming region of a few solar masses per year, and NGC 3341C are very unlikely to host an AGN. We therefore suggest that NGC 3341 is an exceptional example of an AGN triggered in the satellite galaxy of a minor-merging system. The existence of such a system can have important implications in the models of hierarchical growth of structures. Further observational and theoretical efforts on NGC 3341 and potentially similar sources are needed in order to understand the role of minor mergers on the onset of AGN activity, and in the evolution of massive galaxies.