Narrow-line radio galaxies as quasars in the sky plane

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (57) References (39) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Narrow-Line Radio Galaxies as Quasars in the Sky Plane Antonucci, Robert ; Barvainis, Richard Abstract Spectropolarimetry of the narrow-line radio galaxy 3C 234 was used to show in 1982 that there is a hidden broad-line region occulted by a parsec-scale opaque torus oriented perpendicular to the radio structure axis. Given the luminosity of the reflected light, it follows that 3C 234 would be called a quasar if its orientation with respect to the line of sight were different. Since, then, similar results were found for several Seyfert 2 galaxies. If many narrow-line radio galaxies are occulted quasars in the sky plane, several statistical anomalies in the beam model superluminal motion would be understood. However, further optical spectropolarimetry has been disappointing in this regard, at least partially because of kiloparsec-scale dust lanes blocking our view of the nuclear regions. We report near-infrared polarimetry of 3C 223.1, a radio galaxy for which optical spectropolarimetry shows only unpolarized starlight. There is a large K-band flux excess and a high polarization perpendicular to the radio structure axis. Taking, and in some cases reinterpreting, data from the literature, we cite eight "narrow-line radio galaxies" with polarimetric or spectropolarimetric evidence that they are actually broad-line radio galaxies or quasars which lie in the sky plane. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: November 1990 DOI: 10.1086/185855 Bibcode: 1990ApJ...363L..17A Keywords: Astronomical Spectroscopy; Quasars; Radio Galaxies; Sky Surveys (Astronomy); Bl Lacertae Objects; Galactic Structure; Infrared Photometry; Luminosity; Astrophysics; BL LACERTAE OBJECTS; POLARIZATION; QUASARS; RADIO SOURCES: GALAXIES full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (6) NED (2)