The Warped Disc of NGC 4258

TL;DR

This paper investigates the warped accretion disc in NGC 4258 using analytical models to assess if Lense-Thirring precession can explain its shape, providing insights into disc dynamics and galaxy evolution.

Contribution

The study demonstrates that Lense-Thirring precession models can effectively fit the warped disc shape in NGC 4258, offering a new perspective on disc warping mechanisms.

Findings

Lense-Thirring precession models fit the disc shape well

Implications for disc formation and longevity are discussed

Model fits vary with warp radius and black hole configurations

Abstract

We consider the properties of the warped accretion disc in NGC 4258 which is delineated by maser emission. We use our analytical models to consider whether the disc could be warped by Lense-Thirring precession. We show that such models fit the shape of the disc well and we determine the goodness of fit for various combinations of the warp radius and the disc and black hole configurations. Though the fits are compelling evidence, we note that such a model has implications for the formation and longevity of the disc which might be problematic for the current understanding of Seyfert Galaxies.