Complex Broad Emission Line Profiles of AGN - Geometry of the Broad Line Region
arXiv:0910.0991 · doi:10.1016/j.newar.2009.09.007
Abstract
The Broad Emission Lines (BELs) in spectra of type 1 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) can be very complex, indicating a complex Broad Line Region (BLR) geometry. According to the standard unification model one can expect an accretion disk around a supermassive black hole in all AGN. Therefore, a disk geometry is expected in the BLR. However, a small fraction of BELs show double-peaked profiles which indicate the disk geometry. Here, we discuss a two-component model, assuming an emission from the accretion disk and one additional emission from surrounding region. We compared the modeled BELs with observed ones (mostly broad H$α$ and H$β$ profiles) finding that the model can well describe single-peaked and double-peaked observed broad line profiles.
accepted: New Astronomy Reviews