Bibcode
DOI
Pérez García, A. M.; Rodríguez Espinosa, J. M.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 557, Issue 1, pp. 39-53.
Advertised on:
8
2001
Journal
Citations
38
Refereed citations
34
Description
We present mid- and far-IR Infrared Space Observatory data of the CfA
Seyfert galaxy sample. These data allow a detailed study of the far-IR
spectral energy distribution (SED) of these galaxies. A Bayesian
inversion method has been used to invert the SED of these objects and to
identify three characteristic temperature ranges of dust emission. The
method yields two fundamental results, namely, (1) that the mid- and
far-IR SED of Seyfert galaxies can be explained solely through thermal
reradiation of higher energy photons by dust; and (2) that this thermal
emission is made up of three different components, a warm, a cold, and a
very cold dust component. These components are characterized by a peak
temperature and their emission dominated in each case by a single
astrophysical mechanism. These mechanisms have been readily explained as
produced, respectively, by warm dust heated by either the active nucleus
or circumnuclear starbursts, cold dust heated by a star-forming region
in the galaxy disk, and very cold dust heated by the general
interstellar radiation field. Comparisons between the parameters
obtained from the analysis of the IR SEDs (fluxes, temperatures,
luminosities) have been made. Our results suggest that the emission in
the mid-IR is anisotropic and the differences found between Seyfert 1
and Seyfert 2 galaxies could be explained with thin molecular tori
models. Based on observations with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO),
an ESA project with instruments funded by ESA Member States (especially
the PI countries: France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United
Kingdom) and with the participation of ISAS and NASA.