A test of the failed disk wind scenario for the origin of the broad line region in active galactic nuclei

TL;DR

This study tests the dusty disk wind model for the broad line region in active galactic nuclei by comparing reverberation measurements, finding consistency with a universal disk temperature near dust sublimation points.

Contribution

It provides observational evidence supporting the dusty disk wind scenario by analyzing reverberation data across multiple active galactic nuclei.

Findings

Disk and broad line region reverberation measurements are compatible.

The disk temperature at the Hβ radius is approximately 1670 K.

Results support the dust-driven wind origin of the broad line region.

Abstract

It has been recently proposed that the broad line region in active galactic nuclei originates from dusty clouds driven from the accretion disk by radiation pressure, at a distance from the black hole where the disk is cooler than the dust sublimation temperature. We test this scenario by checking the consistency of independent broad line region and accretion disk reverberation measurements, for a sample of 11 well studied active galactic nuclei. We show that independent disk and broad line region reverberation mapping measurements are compatible with a universal disk temperature at the H{\beta} radius of T[R(H{\beta})]=1670(231) K which is close to typical dust sublimation temperatures.