Disk-outflow Connection and the Molecular Dusty Torus

Abstract

Toroidal obscuration is a keystone of AGN unification. There is now direct evidence for the torus emission in infrared, and possibly water masers. Here I summarize the torus properties, its possible relation to the immediate molecular environment of the AGN and present some speculations on how it might evolve with the AGN luminosity.

To appear in proceedings of "The central Kiloparsec: Active Galactic Nuclei and their Hosts", Ierapetra, Crete, 4-6 June 2008