On the Unification of Active Galactic Nuclei
Abstract
The inevitable spread in properties of the toroidal obscuration of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) invalidates the widespread notion that type 1 and 2 AGNs are intrinsically the same objects, drawn randomly from the distribution of torus covering factors. Instead, AGNs are drawn \emph{preferentially} from this distribution; type 2 are more likely drawn from the distribution higher end, type 1 from its lower end. Type 2 AGNs have a higher IR luminosity, lower narrow-line luminosity and a higher fraction of Compton thick X-ray obscuration than type 1. Meaningful studies of unification statistics cannot be conducted without first determining the intrinsic distribution function of torus covering factors.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1202.1776,
title = {On the Unification of Active Galactic Nuclei},
author = {Moshe Elitzur},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1202.1776},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
ApJ Letters, to be published. This is the final, journal version; minor editing revisions from original one