Cosmic metallicity evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei : implications for optical diagnostic diagrams
We analyse the validity of optical diagnostic diagrams relying on emission-lines ratios and in the context of classifying Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) according to the cosmic metallicity evolution in the redshift range 0 ≤ z ≤ 11.2. In this regard, we fit the results of chemical evolution models (C...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2024 |
| País: | Brasil |
| Institución: | Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) |
| Repositorio: | Repositório Institucional da UFRGS |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:www.lume.ufrgs.br:10183/279457 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10183/279457 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Galáxias ativas Nucleo galatico Evolucao galatica Galaxias seyfert ISM : Abundances Galaxies : Abundances Galaxies : Active Galaxies : Evolution Galaxies : Nuclei Galaxies : Seyfert |
| Sumario: | We analyse the validity of optical diagnostic diagrams relying on emission-lines ratios and in the context of classifying Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) according to the cosmic metallicity evolution in the redshift range 0 ≤ z ≤ 11.2. In this regard, we fit the results of chemical evolution models (CEMs) to the radial gradients of the N/O abundances ratio derived through direct estimates of electron temperatures (Te-method) in a sample of four local spiral galaxies. This approach allows us to select representative CEMs and extrapolate the radial gradients to the nuclear regions of the galaxies in our sample, inferring in this way the central N/O and O/H abundances. The nuclear abundance predictions for theoretical galaxies from the selected CEMs, at distinct evolutionary stages, are used as input parameters in AGN photoionization models built with the CLOUDY code. We found that standard BPT diagnostic diagrams are able to classify AGNs with oxygen abundances 12 + log(O/H) 8.0 [(Z/Z ) 0.2] at redshift z 4. On the other hand, the He IIλ4685/Hβ versus [N II]λ6584/Hα diagram produces a reliable AGN classification independent of the evolutionary stage of these objects. |
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