Probing the physics of Seyfert galaxies using their emission-line regions

Abstract

Active galaxies have powerhouses of radiation in their nuclear regions that are driven by accreting super-massive black holes. The accretion system also generates outflows of ionized gas and synchrotron-emitting bipolar jets of plasma, which could have a significant impact on the host galaxy. We have initiated an investigation into the physics of nearby active galaxies by studying the morphology, kinematics, excitation abundance structure, and radio structure of about 120 nearby targets. We present a few early results from this investigation.