Work

Nuclear Luminosities and Radio Loudness of Seyfert Nuclei

Year: 2001

Type: article

Abstract: Historically, Seyfert nuclei have been considered to be radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We question this widely held assumption by showing that the distribution of the radio-to-optical luminosity ratio, R ≡ L ν (6 cm)/ L ν ( B ), when properly measured for the nuclear component, places the majority of type 1 Seyfert nuclei in the category of radio-loud AGNs, defined here as objects with R ≥ 10. This result is further strengthened by strong correlations found between radio power and optical continuum and emission-line luminosities, as has been established previously for more powerful AGNs. We also present a new calibration of the relation between optical continuum and Balmer emission-line luminosities valid in the regime of low-luminosity AGNs.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.1086/321524

Authors: Luis C. Ho, Chien Y. Peng

Institutions: Carnegie Institution for Science, Carnegie Observatories, University of Arizona

Language: English

Topic: Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, California Institute of Technology, Space Telescope Science Institute, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Awards: G433322167, G58316358, G6273510985