Dusty plasma in active galactic nuclei

TL;DR

This paper reviews the role of dust in active galactic nuclei, discussing recent observational and theoretical insights into the dusty regions, their geometry, dynamics, and a dust-based model for emission line formation.

Contribution

It introduces the FRADO model, explaining the formation of Balmer lines in AGN through failed radiatively accelerated dusty outflows.

Findings

Dust obscuration explains AGN classification at large viewing angles.

Recent models shed light on the geometry and dynamics of dusty regions.

The FRADO model links dust dynamics to emission line formation.

Abstract

Since many years we know that dust in the form of the dusty-molecular torus is responsible for the obscuration in active galactic nuclei (AGN) at large viewing angles and thus for the classification of AGN. Recently, we gained some observational and theoretical insight into geometry of the region and the role of the dust in the dynamics of the outflow and failed winds. We will briefly touch on all these aspects, including our dust-based model (FRADO - Failed Radiatively Accelerated Dusty Outflow) of the formation of the Balmer lines in AGN.