We review critically the evidence concerning the fraction of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) which appear as Type 2 AGN, carefully distinguishing strict Type 2 AGN from both more lightly reddened .Type 1 AGN, and from low excitation narrow line AGN, which may represent a different mode of activity. Low excitation AGN occur predominantly at low luminosities; after removing these, true Type 2 AGN represent 58% of all AGN, and lightly reddened Type 1 AGN a further ~15%. Radio, IR, and volume-limited samples all agree in showing no change of Type 2 fraction with luminosity. X-ray samples do show a change with luminosity; we discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy. We test a very simple picture which produces this Type 2 fraction with minimal assumptions. In this picture, infall from large scales occurs in random directions, but must eventually align with the inner accretion flow, producing a severely warped disk on parsec scales. If the re-alignment is dominated by tilt, with minimal twist, a wide range of covering factors is predicted in individual objects, but with an expected mean fraction of Type 2 AGN of exactly 50%. This 'tilted disc' picture predicts reasonable alignment of observed nuclear structures on average, but with distinct misalignments in individual cases. Initial case studies of the few well resolved objects show that such misalignments are indeed present.
The nucleus of the active galaxy NGC 5548 was the target of two intensive spectroscopic monitoring campaigns at X-ray, ultraviolet (UV), and optical frequencies in 2013/14. These campaigns detected the presence of a massive obscuration event. In 2016/17, Landt et al. conducted a near-IR spectroscopic monitoring campaign on NGC 5548 and discovered He i 1.08 μm absorption. Here we decompose this absorption into its components and study its time variability. We attribute the narrow He i absorption lines to the warm absorber and, as for the newly appeared low-ionization warm absorber lines in the …
Aligned and misaligned metallicity gradients in young stars and star-forming regions in the EAGLE discs
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile(智利天主教 Pontificia 大学);Instituto de Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile(智利天主教 Pontificia 大学天体物理研究所);Centro de Astro-Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile(智利天主教 Pontificia 大学天文工程学院)