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Title:
Interpreting Double-Peaked Emission Line Profile Variability in AGNs usingModels for Accretion Disk Structures
Authors:
Flohic, Helene; Eracleous, M.
Affiliation:
AA(UC Irvine), AB(Penn State)
Publication:
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #361.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.510
Publication Date:
01/2009
Origin:
AAS
Bibliographic Code:
2009AAS...21336101F

Abstract

A subset of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) have broad, double-peaked Balmer emission lines, regarded as the best kinematic evidence for the production of broad lines by the accretion disk. It has been suggested that double-peaked emitters have a weak or non-existent disk-wind, hence offering a direct view of the accretion disk. Thus, the variability of the double-peaked line profile, which is uncorrelated with variations of the continuum flux traces changes in the structure of the accretion disk. We analyze the line profile variability of 10 double-peaked emitters, extending the luminosity range of previous variability studies. We use the line profile variability to probe the accretion disk structure and find evidence that the line-emitting region of the accretion disk is partially or totally unstable to self-gravity. We also argue that the double-peaked emitters are connected to the single-peaked emitters since radiative transfer effects through a disk-wind can significantly alter the emission line profile. This suggests very strongly that our results about the accretion disk structure can be generalized to the entire population of AGNs.
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