Published March 10, 2009 | Version v1
Journal article

EXPLORING THE DISK-JET CONNECTION FROM THE PROPERTIES OF NARROW-LINE REGIONS IN POWERFUL YOUNG RADIO-LOUD ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

  • 1. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)
  • 2. Department of Physics, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ehime University, 2-5 Bunkyo-cho, Matsuyama 790-8577 (Japan)
  • 3. Physics and Astronomy Department, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

Description

We investigate the optical emission-line flux ratios of narrow-line regions in order to determine whether the formation of active galactic nucleus (AGN) jets requires specific accretion conditions. We find that bright compact radio galaxies, which are powerful radio galaxies in the early stage of the jet activity, exhibit systematically larger flux ratios of [O I]λ6300/[O III]λ5007 and smaller flux ratios of [O III]λ5007/[O III]λ4363 than radio-quiet (RQ) Seyfert 2 galaxies. Comparing the observed line ratios with photoionization models, it is found that the difference in the flux ratio of low- to high-ionization lines (e.g., [O I]λ6300/[O III]λ5007) can be well understood by the difference in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of ionizing sources. Powerful young radio-loud (YRL) AGNs favor SED without a strong big blue bump (BBB), i.e., a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF), while RQ AGNs are consistent with the models adopting SED with a strong BBB, i.e., a geometrically thin, optically thick disk. These findings imply that the formation of powerful AGN jets requires the accretion disk with harder ionizing SED (i.e., an RIAF). We discuss the obscuring structure of YRL AGNs as a plausible origin of the difference in flux ratios of [O III]λ5007/[O III]λ4363.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/693/2/1686

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal
Journal Volume
693
Journal Issue
2
Journal Page Range
p. 1686-1695
ISSN
0004-637X
CODEN
ASJOAB

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
41029574
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
ACCRETION DISKS; ENERGY SPECTRA; GALAXY NUCLEI; PHOTOIONIZATION; RADIO GALAXIES
Descriptors DEC
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES; GALAXIES; IONIZATION; SPECTRA