Active galactic nuclei are the most luminous persistent sources of electromagnetic radiation in the universe and, as such, can be used as a means of discovering distant objects; their evolution as a function of cosmic time also puts constraints on models of the cosmos.

Artist’s conception of the Unified AGN Model. The unified model includes the central black hole, a rotating disk of infalling material surrounding the black hole, and the jets speeding outward from the poles of the disk.

Feb 17, 2016 · Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are galaxies with extremely bright centers, powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBH). Some of these black holes accelerate relativistic bipolar jets of ejected material to speeds near the speed of light, which stretch up to hundreds of kiloparsecs outside the host galaxies.

Nov 27, 2019 · Abstract page for arXiv paper 1911.12176: AGN types and unification model The motivation of the "unified model" is to explain the main properties of the large zoo of active galactic nuclei with a single physical object.

May 4, 2015 · This review describes recent developments related to the unified model of active galactic nuclei (AGN). It focuses on new ideas about the origin and properties of the central obscurer (torus), and...

Further AGN Resources and References; Introduction to AGN; Imagine the Universe! - Active Galaxies and Quasars

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are the most luminous persistent sources of radiation in the Universe, and are powered by accretion onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH). In the last ten years it has become evident that most galaxies have gone through an AGN phase, which has played a crucial role in their formation and evolution.

Feb 16, 2022 · This animated infographic provides a simplified representation of the Unified Model of active galactic nuclei or AGNs, energetic sources powered by supermassive black holes that exist at the centre of some galaxies. Astronomers have observed different types of AGN.

Animation of Unified AGN Model Astronomers used the NSF's Karl Jansky Very Large Array to observe the dusty, doughnut-shaped torus surrounding the black hole and accretion disk at the center of a powerful radio galaxy.

May 11, 2014 · One of the most intriguing open issues in galaxy evolution is the structure and evolution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) that emit intense light believed to come from an accretion disk near a...