Relativistic Jets in Gamma-Ray-Emitting Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

TL;DR

The discovery of gamma-ray emission from narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies reveals a new class of AGN with relativistic jets, challenging previous notions about jet formation and host galaxy types.

Contribution

This review summarizes the properties, jet physics, and open questions of gamma-ray-emitting NLSy1 galaxies, highlighting their significance in understanding AGN diversity.

Findings

Gamma-ray emission detected from NLSy1 galaxies by Fermi LAT.

NLSy1 galaxies host relativistic jets despite being in late-type galaxies.

Open questions about jet formation and black hole mass estimation in NLSy1s.

Abstract

Before the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope satellite only two classes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) were known to generate relativistic jets and thus to emit up to the $\gamma$-ray energy range: blazars and radio galaxies, both hosted in giant elliptical galaxies. The discovery by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on-board the Fermi satellite of variable $\gamma$-ray emission from a few radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLSy1) revealed the presence of an emerging third class of AGN with powerful relativistic jets. Considering that NLSy1 are usually hosted in late-type galaxies with relatively small black hole masses, this finding opened new challenging questions about the nature of these objects, the disc/jet connection, the emission mechanisms at high energies, and the formation of relativistic jets. In this review, I will discuss the broad-band properties of the $\gamma$-ray-emitting NLSy1 included in the Fourth Fermi LAT source catalog, highlighting major findings and open questions regarding jet physics, black hole mass estimation, host galaxy and accretion process of these sources in the Fermi era.