The highly peculiar emission lines detected in spectra of extragalactic objects may be generated by ultra-rapid quasi-periodic oscillations

TL;DR

This paper explores the possibility that peculiar emission lines in spectra of extragalactic objects are caused by ultra-rapid quasi-periodic oscillations in jets or black holes, offering a new potential explanation for these mysterious features.

Contribution

It proposes a novel hypothesis linking peculiar emission lines to ultra-rapid QPOs, expanding the range of explanations for unusual spectral features in active galactic nuclei.

Findings

The hypothesis is as plausible as existing explanations.

Further validation methods are discussed.

The origin of peculiar emission lines remains uncertain.

Abstract

Extremely peculiar emission lines have been found in the spectra of some active galactic nuclei and quasars. Their origin is totally unknown. We investigate the hypothesis that they are generated from ultra-rapid quasi-periodic oscillations that may occur in jets or black holes, as predicted in a published theoretical paper. We conclude that, although not totally certain, this hypothesis is just as valid as the other highly peculiar hypotheses that have been previously made (e.g. blueshifts due to bulk motions close to the speed of light). We consider ways to further validate our hypothesis.