The origin of the IR emission of low-luminosity AGN

Abstract

AbstractTo test recent suggestions that the infrared emission of low-luminosity AGN arises in a truncated thin accretion disk, we compare recent, high-resolution IR data with published SED model fits that include emission from the truncated disk. We also fit the data with clumpy torus and optically thin dust shell models. These comparisons suggest that dust can better account for the IR emission of the objects in question than can the truncated disk. That optically thin models give a good fit to the data may support a scenario in which the torus of the AGN unified model does not persist in low accretion rate AGN.