The Host Galaxy of 3C 279
Abstract
We have obtained a deep i-band image of the blazar 3C 279 while the target was in a low optical state. Due to the faintness of the optical nucleus we have made the first detection of the host galaxy. The host galaxy has an apparent I-band magnitude of 18.4 +- 0.3 and an effective radius of (2.7 +- 1.1) arcsec. The luminosity of the host galaxy MR = -23.8 is consistent with the luminosities of other radio-loud quasar host galaxies. Using the empirical correlation between bulge luminosity and central black hole mass Mbh we estimate log(Mbh/MSun) = 8.9 +- 0.5, broadly consistent with values obtained by photoionization methods.
0