Related papers: Probing the structure and evolution of active gala…
POLLUX is a high-resolution, UV spectropolarimeter proposed for the 15-meter primary mirror option of LUVOIR. The instrument Phase 0 study is supported by the French Space Agency (CNES) and performed by a consortium of European scientists.…
The present paper describes the current baseline optical design of POLLUX, a high-resolution spectropolarimeter for the future LUVOIR mission. The instrument will operate in the ultraviolet (UV) domain from 90 to 390 nm in both…
The ultra-violet (UV) high-resolution spectropolarimeter Pollux is being studied in Europe under CNES leadership for the LUVOIR space mission. LUVOIR is a projected 15-m telescope equipped with a suite of instruments proposed to NASA.…
Among all the astronomical sources investigated through the prism of polarimetry, active galactic nuclei (AGN) have proven to be the richest in terms of complex yet fundamental signatures that helped to understand their true nature. Indeed,…
Polarimetric study in the UV and optical has been one of the keys to reveal the structure and nature of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Combined with the HST's high spatial resolution, it has directly confirmed the predicted scattering…
In this research note, we start exploring the influence of the narrow line region (NLR) on the optical/UV continuum polarization of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We have upgraded our previous 3-component model of a thermal Seyfert nucleus…
A thermal active galactic nucleus (AGN) consist of a powerful, broad-band continuum source that is surrounded by several reprocessing media with different geometries and compositions. Here we investigate the expected spectropolarimetric…
Due to the compactness active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are still unresolved with optical observations. However, structure and physical conditions of the matter in their central parts are especially important to study the processes of the…
This Astro2020 white paper summarizes the unknowns of active galactic nuclei (AGN) physics that could be unveiled thanks to a new, space-born, ultraviolet spectropolarimeter. The unique capabilities of high energy polarimetry would help us…
We present the results from the first large (>100 source) 3.5 mm polarimetric survey of radio loud active galactic nuclei (AGN). The I, Q, U, and V Stokes parameter observations were performed with the XPOL polarimeter at the IRAM 30m…
Optical spectropolarimetry and broadband polarimetry in other wavebands has been a key to understanding many diverse aspects of AGN. In some cases polarization is due to synchrotron radiation, and in other cases it's due to scattering.…
The rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are important diagnostics of both accretion disk physics and their contribution to the metagalactic ionizing UV background. Though the mean AGN spectrum is well…
Several space missions are proposed or planned for the coming two decades dedicated or including mid- to high-resolution spectropolarimetry on a wide UV band. This includes the European instrument Pollux for the NASA HWO flagship mission,…
We have studied the linear polarization of 86 active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the observed frequency range 80-267 GHz (3.7-1.1mm in wavelength), corresponding to rest-frame frequencies 82-738 GHz, with the IRAM Plateau de Bure…
Optical observations cannot resolve the structure of active galactic nuclei (AGN), and a unified model for AGN was inferred mostly from indirect methods. Optical reverberation mapping allowed us to constrain the spatial dimension of the…
In this second research note of a series of two, we present the first near-infrared results we obtained when modeling Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Our first proceedings showed the comparison between the MontAGN and STOKES Monte Carlo…
Radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) are among the most luminous objects in the Universe, emitting radiation from low-energy radio waves to high energy $\gamma$-rays. They are well known to exhibit flux variations at nearly all…
Pollux is a high-resolution spectrograph and spectropolarimeter working from 100 nm to 1.8 microns proposed for HWO by a European consortium. Pollux will allow us to study stellar and (exo)planetary systems, as well as cosmic ecosystems.…
The ionizing fluxes from quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGN) are critical for interpreting their emission-line spectra and for photoionizing and heating the intergalactic medium (IGM). Using far-ultraviolet spectra from the…
The black-hole/accretion-disk paradigm for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is now reasonably secure, but there are still important unresolved issues, some of which will require the capabilities of an 8 to 10-m class UV/optical space-based…