![]() | Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 2000. 38: 761-814 Copyright © 2000 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved |
3.3.2. The Source of Far-Infrared Luminosity in Seyfert Galaxies and QSOs
IRAS data have shown that the infrared spectral energy
distributions (SEDs) of Seyfert galaxies and (radio-quiet) QSOs are
dominated by thermal (dust) emission
(Sanders et al 1989,
Barvainis 1990,
Pier & Krolik
1993,
Granato & Danese
1994,
Rowan-Robinson 1995,
Granato et al 1997).
ISOPHOT observations of the 2-200 µm
SEDs of Seyferts, radio galaxies, and QSOs have confirmed these conclusions
and improved the quality and spectral detail of the data
(Haas et al 1999,
Wilkes et al 1999,
Rodriguez Espinosa et al
1996,
Perez Garcia et al
1998).
As part of the European Central Quasar Program (~ 70 QSOs and radio
galaxies),
Haas et al (1998a,
1999)
reported ISOPHOT/IRAS SEDs, with additional 1.3 mm points from the IRAM 30
m telescope, for two dozen (mainly radio-quiet) PG QSOs. They conclude that
all QSOs in their sample, including the four radio-loud ones, have
substantial amounts of cool and moderately warm (20 to 60 K) dust
radiating at
60 µm, in
addition to warmer (circumnuclear) dust radiating in the
mid-infrared. The derived dust masses (107±1
M
)
are typical for the total dust masses in gas-rich, normal galaxies,
which suggests that the
60
µm emission is probing the large-scale disks of the host
galaxies.
Andreani (2000)
has observed a complete subset of 34 QSOs from the Edinburgh and ESO QSO
surveys that sample the bright end of the (local) QSO luminosity function.
From her 11-160 µm
ISOPHOT observations, she concludes that the mid-IR and far-IR fluxes are
poorly correlated, as are the far-IR and blue-band fluxes. In contrast, the
60, 100 and 160 µm
fluxes seem to be well correlated. This finding suggests that the far-IR
emission in QSOs is a distinct physical component that may not be physically
related to the shorter wavelength emission.
Wilkes et al (1999)
reported the first results of the US Central QSO program that contains
another
70 objects and extends to z = 4.7. These data confirm as well the presence
of thermal dust emission with a wide range of temperatures. The objects
selected in that survey extend to the high-luminosity tail of the high-z
QSO population
with infrared luminosities of several 1015
L
.
Van Bemmel et al (1999)
reported observations of matched pairs of QSOs and radio galaxies (radio
power, distance, etc). They found that QSOs are actually more luminous
far-IR
sources than radio galaxies, contrary to simple unification schemes.
The key question that must be answered next concerns
the nature of the energy source(s) powering the IR emission: direct
radiation
from the central AGN, or distributed star formation in the host galaxy? The
near- and mid-IR emission
( 30 µm) is very
likely reradiated emission from the AGN accretion disk (the "Big Blue
(or EUV) Bump"; Section 3.3.3). The
30 µm SEDs can
be well matched with the
Pier and Krolik
(1992,
1993),
Granato & Danese
(1994)
models of AGN heated dusty tori (scale size ~ 100 pc), with an
additional component of somewhat cooler dust.
More difficult is the answer to the question of whether the
30 µm emission
is reradiated AGN luminosity as well. A compact and thick torus, as
proposed by
Pier & Krolik (1992),
for instance, definitely does not produce a broad enough SED to explain the
far-IR emission. A clumpy, extended, and lower column den- sity torus
(Granato et al 1997),
a warped disk
(Sanders et al 1989),
or a tapered disk
(Efstathiou &
Rowan-Robinson 1995)
are more successful in qualitatively accounting for the observed broad SEDs.
However, even these models work only marginally for a quantitative modeling
of the emission at
100 µm. For the
CfA sample, the correlation between 60 + 100 µm
band luminosity and (extinction-corrected) [OIII] luminosity is not
impressive for Seyfert 1s, and outright poor for Seyfert 2s.
For QSOs, no clear answer has emerged yet regarding the nature of the
far-IR continuum. On the one hand,
Sanders et al (1989)
concluded that the far-IR emission in PG quasars mainly results from AGN
reradiation. On the other hand,
Rowan-Robinson
(1995),
Haas et al (1999)
argued that the far-IR emission is caused by star-forming activity in the
QSO hosts. In the Sanders et al model, a warped disk could intercept at
least
10% of the luminosity of the central AGN. In their sample of ~ 50
radio-quiet PG quasars with available IRAS luminosities, the average ratio
of total infrared to total UV+visible ["Big Blue (or EUV) Bump"]
luminosities is about 0.4. The
30 µm
luminosity is about half of the total infrared luminosity, thus requiring
that about 15% of the nuclear luminosity be absorbed and reradiated at
102 to 103 pc from the AGN. This may be possible
if substantial warps are present on that scale. In contrast,
Rowan-Robinson (1995)
cited the cases of three PG QSOs (0157+001, 1148+549, 1543+489) and the
Seyfert 1/ULIRG Mrk 231 where the far-IR luminosity exceeds the
optical+UV luminosity,
a result that is not possible in the reradiation scenario (see also
Section 3.4.5). An interpretation of the
far-infared emission in terms of star formation
is also favored by the far-IR/radio relationship in Seyferts and radio-quiet
QSOs. Colina & Perez-Olea
(1995,
and references therein) show that the ratio of 60 + 100 µm
IRAS luminosity to 5 GHz radio luminosity in these objects is in excellent
agreement with the ratio found in star-forming spirals of a wide range of
luminosities.
For Seyfert galaxies, a clearer picture is emerging. For the CfA Seyfert
sample of
Clavel et al (1998),
the median ratio of 60 + 100 µm
luminosity to B-band luminosity is 0.9 for Seyfert 1s and 1.6 for Seyfert
2s. Assuming that about 30% of the total UV+visible luminosity is contained
in the B-band (as in the PG QSOs of
Sanders et al 1989),
the fraction of bolometric luminosity emerging in the far-IR in the Clavel
et al Seyferts is about 40%. This is probably too large for a reradiation
scenario.
Perez Garcia et al (1998)
have investigated the infrared spectral energy distribution of ten Seyfert
galaxies with a combination of IRAS and ISOPHOT data. They decomposed the
4-200 µm spectra into a sum of blackbodies with
-2
emissivities. In nine of the ten galaxies studied the infrared spectrum
decomposes
into three components, each with a similar, narrow range of temperatures.
A 110-150 K component dominates the mid-infrared. The far-IR emission comes
from a combination of a 40-50 K (30 to 100 µm) and a 10-20 K
(150 to 200 µm)
component. Perez Garcia et al concluded from the similarity of the
temperatures
of the three components that they represent well-separated spatial regions
(compact torus, star-forming regions, and diffuse ISM), rather than a
temperature
range in a single physical component (i.e. a circumnuclear torus or warped
disk). In this interpretation, the 40-50 K temperature component dominating
the 60 + 100 µm IRAS band is a measure of star formation in
the disk of the Seyfert galaxies. Finally, the finding
(Figure 10) that the ratio of UIB
luminosity to 60 + 100 µm luminosity in the
Clavel et al (1998)
Seyferts is essentially the same as in starburst galaxies also strongly
supports an interpretation of the far-IR emission in terms of (disk)
star formation.