The distribution of galactic neighbours of X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei

We combine X-ray data from the X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission 12(th) data release (4XMM DR12) and the extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array (eROSITA) Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS) early data release catalogues with the Galaxy and Mass Assembly spectroscopic galaxy survey to form a sample of 526 local (0.05 <= z <= 0.3), moderately luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs; L-X >= 10(42) erg s(-1)). We compare the distribution of AGN hosts with that of the general galaxy population, finding no evidence of AGNs being preferentially hosted within over/underdense environments at a 7-Mpc scale. Next, we compare the distances to nearest-neighbour galaxies and find that AGN host galaxies are separated from their neighbours by the same distance as galaxies in a matched non-AGN sample. Finally, we consider mid-IR colour, provided by the All-WISE survey, the L-X/L-6 mu m ratio, and X-ray hardness as tracers of AGN obscuration, to explore whether there is a change in the galaxy environment for obscured AGNs. We find no evidence of increasing AGN obscuration with decreasing separation in close galaxy pairs. We conclude that close galaxy-galaxy interactions may not be sufficiently disruptive to cause any observable increase in AGN activity.