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Full-Text Articles in Physics
Interpreting The Ionization Sequence In Agn Emission-Line Spectra, Chris T. Richardson, James T. Allen, Jack A. Baldwin, Paul C. Hewett, Gary J. Ferland
Interpreting The Ionization Sequence In Agn Emission-Line Spectra, Chris T. Richardson, James T. Allen, Jack A. Baldwin, Paul C. Hewett, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We investigate the physical cause of the great range in the ionization level seen in the spectra of narrow-lined active galactic nuclei (AGN). We used a recently developed technique called mean field independent component analysis to identify examples of individual Sloan Digital Sky Survey galaxies whose spectra are not dominated by emission due to star formation (SF), which we therefore designate as AGN. We assembled high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) composite spectra of a sequence of these AGN defined by the ionization level of their narrow-line regions (NLR), and extending down to very low ionization cases. We then used a local …
A Transition Mass For Black Holes To Show Broad Emission Lines, Susmita Chakravorty, Martin Elvis, Gary J. Ferland
A Transition Mass For Black Holes To Show Broad Emission Lines, Susmita Chakravorty, Martin Elvis, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Although the supermassive (AGN) and stellar mass (BHBs) black holes have many properties in common, the broad emission lines (BELs) are exclusively signatures of the active galactic nuclei (AGN). Based on the detection of these lines from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data bases, there seems to be no AGN with mass MBH ≲ 105 M⊙. In this paper, we investigate if such low-mass black holes are really non-existent or they are undetected because the BELs in them are not produced efficiently. Using the ionizing spectral energy distribution for a wide range of black hole mass, …
The Influence Of Soft Spectral Components On The Structure And Stability Of Warm Absorbers In Active Galactic Nuclei, Susmita Chakravorty, Ranjeev Misra, Martin Elvis, Ajit K. Kembhavi, Gary J. Ferland
The Influence Of Soft Spectral Components On The Structure And Stability Of Warm Absorbers In Active Galactic Nuclei, Susmita Chakravorty, Ranjeev Misra, Martin Elvis, Ajit K. Kembhavi, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The radiation from the central regions of active galactic nuclei, including that from the accretion disc surrounding the black hole, is likely to peak in the extreme-ultraviolet ∼13–100 eV. However, due to Galactic absorption, we are limited to constrain the physical properties, i.e. the black hole mass and the accretion rate, from what observations we have below ∼10 eV or above ∼100 eV. In this paper, we predict the thermal and ionization states of warm absorbers as a function of the shape of the unobservable continuum. In particular we model an accretion disc at kTin∼ 10 eV and …
On The Disappearance Of The Broad-Line Region In Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei, Moshe Elitzur, Luis C. Ho
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.
Luminosity-Variation Independent Location Of The Circum-Nuclear, Hot Dust In Ngc 4151, Jorg-Uwe Pott, Matt A. Malkan, Moshe Elitzur, Andrea M. Ghez, Tom M. Herbst, Rainer Schödel, Julien Woillez
Luminosity-Variation Independent Location Of The Circum-Nuclear, Hot Dust In Ngc 4151, Jorg-Uwe Pott, Matt A. Malkan, Moshe Elitzur, Andrea M. Ghez, Tom M. Herbst, Rainer Schödel, Julien Woillez
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
After recent sensitivity upgrades at the Keck Interferometer (KI), systematic interferometric 2 μm studies of the innermost dust in nearby Seyfert nuclei are within observational reach. Here, we present the analysis of new interferometric data of NGC 4151, discussed in context of the results from recent dust reverberation, spectro-photometric, and interferometric campaigns. The complete data set gives a complex picture, in particular the measured visibilities from now three different nights appear to be rather insensitive to the variation of the nuclear luminosity. KI data alone indicate two scenarios: the K-band emission is either dominated to ~90% by size …
Properties Of Warm Absorbers In Active Galaxies: A Systematic Stability Curve Analysis, Susmita Chakravorty, Ajit K. Kembhavi, Martin Elvis, Gary J. Ferland
Properties Of Warm Absorbers In Active Galaxies: A Systematic Stability Curve Analysis, Susmita Chakravorty, Ajit K. Kembhavi, Martin Elvis, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Signatures of warm absorbers are seen in soft X-ray spectra of about half of all type 1 Seyfert galaxies observed and in some quasars and blazars. We use the thermal equilibrium curve to study the influence of the shape of the ionizing continuum, density and the chemical composition of the absorbing gas on the existence and nature of the warm absorbers. We describe circumstances in which a stable warm absorber can exist as a multiphase medium or one with continuous variation in pressure. In particular, we find the following results: (i) the warm absorber exists only if the spectral index …
The Location And Kinematics Of The Coronal-Line Emitting Regions In Active Galactic Nuclei, J. R. Mullaney, M. J. Ward, C. Done, Gary J. Ferland, N. Schurch
The Location And Kinematics Of The Coronal-Line Emitting Regions In Active Galactic Nuclei, J. R. Mullaney, M. J. Ward, C. Done, Gary J. Ferland, N. Schurch
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We use the photoionization code CLOUDY to determine both the location and the kinematics of the optical forbidden, high-ionization line (hereafter, FHIL) emitting gas in the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark 564. The results of our models are compared with the observed properties of these emission lines to produce a physical model that is used to explain both the kinematics and the source of this gas. The main features of this model are that the FHIL emitting gas is launched from the putative dusty torus and is quickly accelerated to its terminal velocity of a few hundred km s …
Agn Dusty Tori. I. Handling Of Clumpy Media, Maia Nenkova, Matthew M. Sirocky, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Agn Dusty Tori. I. Handling Of Clumpy Media, Maia Nenkova, Matthew M. Sirocky, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
According to unified schemes of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the central engine is surrounded by dusty, optically thick clouds in a toroidal structure. We have recently developed a formalism that for the first time takes proper account of the clumpy nature of the AGN torus. We now provide a detailed report of our findings in a two-paper series. Here we present our general formalism for radiative transfer in clumpy media and construct its building blocks for the AGN problem-the source functions of individual dusty clouds heated by the AGN radiation field. We show that a fundamental difference from smooth density …
Spitzer Irs Observations Of Seyfert 1.8 And 1.9 Galaxies: A Comparison With Seyfert 1 And Seyfert 2, R. P. Deo, D. M. Crenshaw, S. B. Kraemer, M. Dietrich, Moshe Elitzur, H. Teplitz, T. J. Turner
Spitzer Irs Observations Of Seyfert 1.8 And 1.9 Galaxies: A Comparison With Seyfert 1 And Seyfert 2, R. P. Deo, D. M. Crenshaw, S. B. Kraemer, M. Dietrich, Moshe Elitzur, H. Teplitz, T. J. Turner
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present Spitzer mid-infrared spectra of 12 Seyfert 1.8 and 1.9 galaxies over the 5-38 μm region. We compare the spectral characteristics of this sample to those of 58 Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies from the Spitzer archives. An analysis of the spectral shapes, the silicate 10 μm feature and the emission-line fluxes have enabled us to characterize the mid-IR properties of Seyfert 1.8/1.9s. We find that the EWs of the 10 μm silicate feature are generally weak in all Seyfert galaxies, as previously reported by several studies. The few Seyfert galaxies in this sample that show …
The Agn-Obscuring Torus: The End Of The "Doughnut" Paradigm?, Moshe Elitzur, Isaac Shlosman
The Agn-Obscuring Torus: The End Of The "Doughnut" Paradigm?, Moshe Elitzur, Isaac Shlosman
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Unified schemes of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) require an obscuring dusty torus around the central engine. The compact sizes (only a few parsecs) determined in recent high-resolution observations require that the obscuring matter be clumpy and located inside the region where the black hole gravity dominates over the galactic bulge. This location is in line with the scenario depicting the torus as the region of the clumpy wind coming off the accretion disk in which the clouds are dusty and optically thick. We study here the outflow scenario within the framework of hydromagnetic disk winds, incorporating the cloud properties determined …
Gemini Mid-Ir Polarimetry Of Ngc 1068: Polarized Structures Around The Nucleus, C. Packham, S. Young, S. Fisher, K. Volk, R. Mason, J. H. Hough, P. F. Roche, Moshe Elitzur, J. Radomski, E. Perlman
Gemini Mid-Ir Polarimetry Of Ngc 1068: Polarized Structures Around The Nucleus, C. Packham, S. Young, S. Fisher, K. Volk, R. Mason, J. H. Hough, P. F. Roche, Moshe Elitzur, J. Radomski, E. Perlman
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present diffraction-limited, 10 μm imaging polarimetry data for the central regions of the archetypal Seyfert active galactic nucleus NGC 1068. The position angle of polarization is consistent with three dominant polarizing mechanisms. We identify three distinct regions of polarization: (1) north of the nucleus, arising from aligned dust in the narrow emission line region, (2) south, east, and west of the nucleus, consistent with dust being channeled toward the central engine, and (3) a central minimum of polarization consistent with a compact (≤22 pc) torus. These observations provide continuity between the geometrically and optically thick torus and the …
The Flaring H2o Megamaser And Compact Radio Source In Markarian 348, A. B. Peck, C. Henkel, J. S. Ulvestad, A. Brunthaler, H. Falcke, Moshe Elitzur, K. M. Menten, J. F. Gallimore
The Flaring H2o Megamaser And Compact Radio Source In Markarian 348, A. B. Peck, C. Henkel, J. S. Ulvestad, A. Brunthaler, H. Falcke, Moshe Elitzur, K. M. Menten, J. F. Gallimore
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We report on single-dish monitoring and extremely high angular resolution observations of the flaring H2O megamaser in the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 348. The H2O line is redshifted by ~130 km s-1 with respect to the systemic velocity, is very broad, with an FWHM of 130 km s-1, and has no detectable high-velocity components within 1500 km s-1 on either side of the strong line. Monitoring observations made with the Effelsberg 100 m telescope show that the maser varies significantly on timescales as short as 1 day and that the integrated line …
He Ii Reverberation In Active Galactic Nucleus Spectra, Mark C. Bottorff, Jack A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, Jason W. Ferguson, Kirk T. Korista
He Ii Reverberation In Active Galactic Nucleus Spectra, Mark C. Bottorff, Jack A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, Jason W. Ferguson, Kirk T. Korista
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
This paper compares the observed reverberation response lags and the intensity ratios of the broad-line region (BLR) emission lines He II λ1640, He II λ4686, and C IV λ1549 with predictions. Published observations indicate that the He II λ1640 lag is 3 times shorter than the lags of He II λ4686 or C IV λ1549. Diverse models, however, do not reproduce this observation. Extensive improved numerical simulations of the hydrogenic isoelectronic sequence emission show that the He II spectrum remains especially simple, even in the central regions of a luminous quasar. Line trapping never builds up a significant population of …
Dust Emission From Active Galactic Nuclei, Maia Nenkova, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Dust Emission From Active Galactic Nuclei, Maia Nenkova, Željko Ivezić, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Unified schemes of active galactic nuclei require an obscuring dusty torus around the central source, giving rise to a Seyfert 1 line spectrum for pole-on viewing and Seyfert 2 characteristics in edge-on sources. Although the observed IR is in broad agreement with this scheme, the behavior of the 10 μm silicate feature and the width of the far-IR emission peak remained serious problems in all previous modeling efforts. We show that these problems find a natural explanation if the dust is contained in approximately five to 10 clouds along radial rays through the torus. The spectral energy distributions of …
The Narrow-Line Region In The Seyfert 2 Galaxy Ngc 3393, Andrew J. Cooke, J. A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, Hagai Netzer, Andrew S. Wilson
The Narrow-Line Region In The Seyfert 2 Galaxy Ngc 3393, Andrew J. Cooke, J. A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland, Hagai Netzer, Andrew S. Wilson
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The narrow-line region (NLR) of the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 3393 is dominated by a symmetric structure which appears as S-shaped arms in Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images. These arms, which occupy the central few arcseconds of the nucleus, border a linear, triple-lobed radio source. We use HST imaging and spectra, ground-based optical images, long-slit spectra, Fabry-Perot imaging spectroscopy, and VLA radio data to perform a detailed investigation of the kinematics and ionization of the line-emitting gas in NGC 3393 and of its relationship with the relativistic gas responsible for the radio emission. The excitation map [O III] …
Hubble Space Telescope/Faint Object Spectrograph Spectroscopy Of Spatially Resolved Narrow-Line Regions In The Seyfert 2 Galaxies Ngc 2110 And Ngc 5929, Pierre Ferruit, Andrew S. Wilson, Mark Whittle, Chris Simpson, John S. Mulchaey, Gary J. Ferland
Hubble Space Telescope/Faint Object Spectrograph Spectroscopy Of Spatially Resolved Narrow-Line Regions In The Seyfert 2 Galaxies Ngc 2110 And Ngc 5929, Pierre Ferruit, Andrew S. Wilson, Mark Whittle, Chris Simpson, John S. Mulchaey, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We present the results of UV and optical Hubble Space Telescope/Faint Object Spectrograph spectroscopy of bright, extranuclear regions of line emission in the Seyfert galaxies NGC 2110 and NGC 5929. We have obtained spectra of the brightest region of the ``nuclear jet'' of NGC 2110 (75 pc from the nucleus) and of the southwest emission-line cloud of NGC 5929 (90 pc from the nucleus), in the G130H (1090-1605 Å), G190H (1570-2310 Å), G400H (3235-4780 Å), and G570H (4570-6820 Å) configurations. The observed line ratios are compared with the predictions of the two component (matter- and ionization-bounded, MB-IB), central source …
Megamaser Disks In Active Galactic Nuclei, John F. Kartje, Arieh Königl, Moshe Elitzur
Megamaser Disks In Active Galactic Nuclei, John F. Kartje, Arieh Königl, Moshe Elitzur
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
Recent spectroscopic and VLBI-imaging observations of bright extragalactic H2O maser sources have revealed that the megamaser emission often originates in thin circumnuclear disks near the centers of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Using general radiative and kinematic considerations and taking account of the observed flux variability, we argue that the maser emission regions are clumpy, a conclusion that is independent of the detailed mechanism (X-ray heating, shocks, etc.) driving the collisionally pumped masers. We examine scenarios in which the clumps represent discrete gas condensations (i.e., clouds) and do not merely correspond to velocity irregularities in the disk. We show …
The Ultraviolet-Optical Albedo Of Broad Emission Line Clouds, Kirk Korista, Gary J. Ferland
The Ultraviolet-Optical Albedo Of Broad Emission Line Clouds, Kirk Korista, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
We explore the effective UV-optical albedos of a variety of types of broad emission line clouds, as well as their possible effects on the observed spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). An important albedo source in moderately ionized ionization-bounded clouds is that which is due to neutral hydrogen: Rayleigh scattering of continuum photons off the extreme damping wings of Lyα. The photons resulting from this scattering mechanism may contribute significantly to the Lyα emission line, especially in the very broad wings. In addition, line photons emitted near 1200 Å (e.g., N V λ1240) that stream toward the neutral portion of …
Locally Optimally Emitting Clouds And The Narrow Emission Lines In Seyfert Galaxies, Jason W. Ferguson, Kirk T. Korista, Jack A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland
Locally Optimally Emitting Clouds And The Narrow Emission Lines In Seyfert Galaxies, Jason W. Ferguson, Kirk T. Korista, Jack A. Baldwin, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The narrow emission line spectra of active galactic nuclei are not accurately described by simple photoionization models of single clouds. Recent Hubble Space Telescope images of Seyfert 2 galaxies show that these objects are rich with ionization cones, knots, filaments, and strands of ionized gas. Here we extend to the narrow-line region the ``locally optimally emitting cloud'' (LOC) model, in which the observed spectra are predominantly determined by powerful selection effects. We present a large grid of photoionization models covering a wide range of physical conditions and show the optimal conditions for producing many of the strongest emission lines. We …
Physical Conditions Of The Coronal Line Region In Seyfert Galaxies, Jason W. Ferguson, Kirk Korista, Gary J. Ferland
Physical Conditions Of The Coronal Line Region In Seyfert Galaxies, Jason W. Ferguson, Kirk Korista, Gary J. Ferland
Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications
The launch of the Infrared Space Observatory and new atomic data have opened a window for the study of high-ionization gas in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We present the results of a large number of photoionization simulations of the "coronal line" region in AGNs, employing new atomic data from the Opacity and Iron Projects. Our grid of line emission spans 8 orders of magnitude in gas density and 14 orders of magnitude in ionizing flux in an effort to identify the optimal conditions in which these lines form. We show that coronal lines form at distances from just outside the …