paper

An Interpretation of Radio-loud -- Radio-quiet QSO Differences

arXiv:astro-ph/9605163 · doi:10.1007/BFb0102610

Abstract

Here we speculate on what observations are telling us about the difference between radio-loud and radio-quiet QSOs. The observations are (i) the relation between ultraviolet-optical luminosity and `jet power', (ii) the dependences of emission and absorption line spectra, and the spectral energy distribution, on radio core-dominance, assumed to be an indicator of orientation, (iii) the spectral differences between radio-loud and radio-quiet QSOs, and (iv) the inverse relation between the strength of broad, blended Fe\,II multiplets and [O\,III]\,5007, and the apparently-related association between Fe\,II strength, reddening, broad absorption lines, and scattering polarization. We present and discuss a picture in which there are two main variables: (i) the inclination of the plane of the host galaxy to the axis of the inner jet (the central engine's rotation axis), and (ii) the angle of the line-of-sight to this rotation axis. The radio-loud QSOs are those with jets aiming away from the plane of the host galaxy.

6 pages, including one postscript figure. In addition there is a Springer style file, lamuphys.sty. Paper to appear with the two related papers submitted here by the same author(s), in Springer Lecture Notes series: Jets from Stars and Galactic Nuclei, ed. W. Kundt

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