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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

On The Disappearance Of The Broad-Line Region In Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei, Moshe Elitzur, Luis C. Ho Aug 2010

On The Disappearance Of The Broad-Line Region In Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei, Moshe Elitzur, Luis C. Ho

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The disk-wind scenario for the broad-line region (BLR) and toroidal obscuration in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) predicts the disappearance of the BLR at low luminosities. In accordance with the model predictions, data from a nearly complete sample of nearby AGNs show that the BLR disappears at luminosities lower than 5 × 1039(M/107 M)2/3 erg s-1, where M is the black hole mass. The radiative efficiency of accretion onto the black hole is ≲10-3 for these sources, indicating that their accretion is advection-dominated.


Discovery Of Variability In The Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Emission Of 1es 1218+304 With Veritas, P. T. Reynolds, Et Al Jan 2010

Discovery Of Variability In The Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Emission Of 1es 1218+304 With Veritas, P. T. Reynolds, Et Al

Physical Sciences Publications

We present results from an intensive VERITAS monitoring campaign of the high-frequency peaked BL Lac object 1ES 1218+304 in 2008/2009. Although 1ES 1218+304 was detected previously by MAGIC and VERITAS at a persistent level of ~6% of the Crab Nebula flux, the new VERITAS data reveal a prominent flare reaching ~20% of the Crab. While very high energy (VHE) flares are quite common in many nearby blazars, the case of 1ES 1218+304 (redshift z = 0.182) is particularly interesting since it belongs to a group of blazars that exhibit unusually hard VHE spectra considering their redshifts. When correcting the measured …