Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T15:51:32.693Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Black Hole Models of Quasars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2016

R. D. Blandford*
Affiliation:
Theoretical Astrophysics, 130-33 Caltech, Pasadena CA 91125, U.S.A.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Observations of active galactic nuclei are interpreted in terms of a theoretical model involving accretion onto a massive black hole. Optical quasars and Seyfert galaxies are associated with holes accreting near the Eddington rate and radio galaxies with sub-critical accretion. It is argued that magnetic fields are largely responsible for extracting energy and angular momentum from black holes and disks. Recent studies of electron-positron pair plasmas and their possible role in establishing the emergent X-ray spectrum are reviewed. The main evolutionary properties of active galactic nuclei can be interpreted in terms of a simple model in which black holes accrete gas at a rate dictated by the rate of gas supply which decreases with cosmic time. It may be worth searching for eclipsing binary black holes in lower power Seyferts.

Type
IV. Prime Movers, Models and Mechanisms
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1986 

References

Begelman, M. C., Blandford, R. D., and Rees, M. J., 1980, Nature, 287, 307.Google Scholar
Begelman, H. C., Blandford, R. D., and Rees, M. J., 1984, Rev. Mod. Phys., 56, 255.Google Scholar
Blandford, R. D., 1984, Arm. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 422, 303.Google Scholar
Burbidge, G. R. and Burbidge, M., 1967, Quasi-stellar Objects, (Freeman, San Francisco).Google Scholar
Coroniti, F. V., 1985, Proc. IAU Symp. No. 112, (ed. Kundu, and Holman, ), (Reidel, Holland).Google Scholar
Crawford, H. K., et al., 1985, Nature, 315, 467.Google Scholar
Dressler, A., 1984, Astrophys. J. 286, 97.Google Scholar
Filippenko, A. V., and Sargent, W. L. W., 1985, Astrophys. J. Suppl., 57, 3.Google Scholar
Gaskell, C. M., 1983, Proc. 24th Liege Int Astrophys. Symp., (ed. Swings, ).Google Scholar
Lynden-Bell, D., 1969, Nature, 223, 690.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mihalas, D. and Winkler, K.-H., (ed.), 1986. Proc IAU Coll. No. 89. Google Scholar
Miller, J., (ed.), 1985, Astrophysics of Active Galaxies and Quasi-stellar Objects, (University Science Books, Mill Valley, California).Google Scholar
Morris, M., and Yusef-Zadeh, F., 1986, Astronom. J., (in press).Google Scholar
Papaloizou, J. C. B. and Pringle, J. E., 1984, Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc., 208, 721.Google Scholar
Papaloizou, J. C. B. and Pringle, J. E., 1985, Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc., 213, 799.Google Scholar
Phinney, E. S., 1983. unpublished , University of Cambridge.Google Scholar
Pudritz, R. E. and Norman, C. A., 1983, Astrophys. J., 274, 677.Google Scholar
Rees, M. J., 1984. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys., 22. 471.Google Scholar
Salpeter, E. E., 1964. Astrophys. J. 140, 796.Google Scholar
Sofue, Y., and Handa, T., 1984. Nature, 310, 568.Google Scholar
Thorne, K. S., 1986. in Highlights of Modern Astrophysics, (ed. Shapiro, and Teukolsky, ), (Wiley, New York).Google Scholar
Tonry, J., 1984. Astrophys. J. Lett., 283, L27.Google Scholar
Uchida, Y. and Shibata, K., 1984, PASJ, 36, 105.Google Scholar
Zel'dovich, Ya. B., and Novikov, I. D., 1964, Dokl. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, 158. 811.Google Scholar