Weigelt, G., Hofmann, K.-H., Kishimoto, M., Hönig, S., Schertl, D., Marconi, A., Millour, F., Petrov, R., Fraix-Burnet, D., Malbet, F., Tristram, K., and Vannier, M.
VLTI/AMBER observations of the Seyfert nucleus of NGC 3783
A&A, 541, id.L9 (2012)
Abstract
The putative tori surrounding the accretion disks of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a fundamental role in the unification scheme of AGNs. Infrared long-baseline interferometry allows us to study the inner dust distribution in AGNs with unprecedented spatial resolution over a wide infrared wavelength range.
Aims: Near- and mid-infrared interferometry is used to investigate the milli- arcsecond-scale dust distribution in the type 1.5 Seyfert nucleus of NGC 3783. Methods: We observed NGC 3783 with the VLTI/AMBER instrument in the K-band and compared our observations with models. Results: From the K-band observations, we derive a ring-fit torus radius of 0.74 ± 0.23 mas or 0.16 ± 0.05 pc. We compare this size with infrared interferometric observations of other AGNs and UV/optical-infrared reverberation measurements. For the interpretation of our observations, we simultaneously model our near- and mid-infrared visibilities and the spectral energy distribution (SED) with a temperature/density-gradient model including an additional inner hot 1400 K ring component.
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