Description
Using Spitzer-infrared spectrograph (IRS) spectroscopy, we investigate the ubiquity of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in a complete (~94%), volume-limited sample of the most bolometrically luminous galaxies [L_IR,8-1000um_>=(0.3-20)x10^10^L_{sun}_] to D<15Mpc. Our analyses are based on the detection of the high-excitation emission line [NeV]({lambda}14.32{mu}m) (97.1eV) to unambiguously identify AGN activity. We find that 17 of the 64 infrared (IR) bright galaxies in our sample host AGN activity (~27^+8^_6_%), >=50t of which are not identified as AGN using optical spectroscopy.
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