Publications of the MPIfR
Optical & Infrared
Interferometry Group
Kishimoto, M., Antonucci, R., Blaes, O.
The near-IR shape of the big blue bump emission
from quasars: under the hot dust emission
Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference
Series (ASPCS)
"The Central Engine of Active Galactic Nuclei" conference
held in Xi'An, China from Oct.16-21, 2006
ASP Conference Series, Vol. 373, p.105
Abstract
One primary difficulty in understanding the nature of the putative
accretion disk in the central engine of AGNs is that some of its key
intrinsic spectral signatures are buried under the emissions from the
surrounding regions, i.e. the broad line region (BLR) and the obscuring
torus. We argue here that these signatures can be revealed by using
optical and near-IR polarization. At least in some quasars, the
polarization is seen only in the continuum and is not shared by
emission lines. In this case, the polarized flux is considered to show
the intrinsic spectrum interior to the BLR, removing off the emissions
from the BLR and torus. We have used this polarization to reveal the
Balmer-edge feature and near-IR spectral shape of the central engine,
both of which are important for testing the fundamental aspects of the
models.
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