Answer to Question #173621 in Astronomy | Astrophysics for ANJU JAYACHANDRAN

Question

4c) Describe the nature of the central engine in an AGN.

Answer 1

AGN are among the most powerful sources of electromagnetic emission. It is believed that there are supermassive black holes (with mass more than million solar masses) at the centres of galactics with AGN. Standard model of AGN concerns an accretion disk of cold material forming around the SMBH. Due to the dissipation some amount of a material moves inward and the disk is heat up due to the transfer of angular momentum from an inspiraling material. Also there may exist a corona of hot material. There may be two prominent in radio-emission relativistic jets in opposite directions.