Theoretical Emission-Line Profiles of Active Galactic Nuclei and the Unified Model. I. The Face-on Torus

Theoretical emission-line profiles are obtained for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) taking into account the presence of an obscuring torus around the central energy source. For the sake of simplicity, the torus is represented by a cylindrical shell characterized by the inner and outer radius and the opening angle. In this paper we discuss the results with angle of sight equal to 0, i.e., for a face-on torus. Different line profiles are obtained following the torus parameters. The line profiles may show more than one peak and bumps, depending on the torus dimensions. The main parameter determining the number of peaks or bumps is the opening angle. Thus, the observed line shape may be a good indicator of the torus characteristics. As an example, the fit to the observed [O III] λ5007 emission line of NGC 4151 is presented. The model reproduces the FWHM and the asymmetrical bumps observed.

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