The WISE view of the disc-torus connection in z~0.6 Active Galactic Nuclei

TL;DR

This study analyzes a large sample of radio-quiet AGN at z~0.6 using WISE infrared data to investigate the disc-torus connection, revealing that the torus reprocesses about one-third to one-half of the accretion disc luminosity.

Contribution

It provides the largest IR-based analysis of the disc-torus connection in AGN at this redshift, quantifying the reprocessed luminosity fraction.

Findings

Torus reprocesses approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the accretion disc luminosity.

Sample size of about 4000 AGN with IR detection across all four WISE bands.

Largest IR-based study of the disc-torus connection at z~0.6.

Abstract

We selected all radio-quiet AGN in the latest release of Sloan digital sky survey quasar catalog, with redshift in the range 0.56-0.73. About 4000 (~80%) of these have been detected in all four IR-bands of WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer). This is the largest sample suitable to study the disc-torus connection. We find that the torus reprocesses on average ~1/3-1/2 of the accretion disc luminosity.