Navegando por Assunto "Galaxies: active"

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    Constraints on the densities and temperature of the Seyfert 2 narrow line region
    (EDP Sciences) Binette, Luc; Martin, Montserrat Villar; Dors Junior, Oli Luiz; Krongold, Yair; Morisset, Christophe; Revalski, Mitchell; Alarie, Alexandre; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Dopita, Michael
    Context. Different studies have reported the so-called temperature problem of the narrow line region (NLR) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Its origin is still an open issue. To properly address its cause, a trustworthy temperature indicator is required. Aims. To determine the temperature of an emission line plasma, the [O iii] (λ4363Å/λ5007Å) line ratio is typically used. However, in the case of the NLR of AGNs, this ratio is not reliable when the electron density extends much above 10 cm−3 as collisional deexcitation strongly affects this ratio independently of the temperature. To verify the density regime, we need a density diagnostic that applies to high excitation plasma. Methods. We propose that the weak [Ar iv] λλ4711,40Å doublet is the appropriate tool for evaluating the density of the high excitation plasma. We subsequently made use of the recent S7 survey sample to extract reliable measurements of the weak [Ar iv] doublet in 16 high excitation Seyfert 2s. As a result we could derive the plasma density of the NLR of our Seyfert 2 sample and compared the temperature inferred from the observed [O iii] (λ4363Å/λ5007Å) ratios. Results. It was found that 13 Seyfert 2s cluster near similar values as the [O iii] (λ4363Å/λ5007Å) ratio, at a mean value of 0.0146 ± 0.0020. Three objects labeled outliers stand out at markedly higher [O iii] values (>0.03). Conclusions. If for each object one assumes a single density, the values inferred from the [Ar iv] doublet for the 13 clustering objects all lie below 60 000 cm−3 , indicating that the [O iii] (λ4363Å/λ5007Å) ratios in these objects is a valid tracer of plasma temperature. Even when assuming a continuous power-law distribution of the density, the inferred cut-off density required to reproduce the observed 5.1 −3 [Ar iv] doublet is in all cases <10 cm. The average NLR temperature inferred for the 13 Seyfert 2s is 13 000 ± 703 K, which photoionization models have difficulty reproducing. Subsequently we considered different mechanisms to account for the observed [O iii] ratios. For the three outliers, a double-bump density distribution is likely required, with the densest component having a density >10 cm-3 .
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    Cosmic metallicity evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei: implications for optical diagnostic diagrams
    (Royal Astronomical Society) Dors Junior, Oli Luiz; Cardaci, Mónica Viviana; Hägele, Guilhermo F.; Ilha, Gabriele da Silva; Oliveira Junior, Celso Benedito de; Riffel, Rogemar A.; Riffel, Rogério; Krabbe, Angela Cristina
    We analyse the validity of optical diagnostic diagrams relying on emission-lines ratios and in the context of classifying Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) according to the cosmic metallicity evolution in the redshift range⁠. In this regard, we fit the results of chemical evolution models (CEMs) to the radial gradients of the N/O abundances ratio derived through direct estimates of electron temperatures (Te-method) in a sample of four local spiral galaxies. This approach allows us to select representative CEMs and extrapolate the radial gradients to the nuclear regions of the galaxies in our sample, inferring in this way the central N/O and O/H abundances. The nuclear abundance predictions for theoretical galaxies from the selected CEMs, at distinct evolutionary stages, are used as input parameters in AGN photoionization models built with the Cloudy code. We found that standard BPT diagnostic diagrams are able to classify AGNs with oxygen abundances at redshift. On the other hand, the He iiλ4685/Hβ versus [N ii]λ6584/Hα diagram produces a reliable AGN classification independent of the evolutionary stage of these objects.