Skip to content

Kinetically Dominated FRII Radio Sources

Brian Punsly

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/0610042

Abstract

The existence of FR II objects that are kinetically dominated, the jet kinetic luminosity, Q, is larger than the total thermal luminosity (IR to X-ray) of the accretion flow, Lbol, is of profound theoretical interest. Such objects are not expected in most theoretical models of the central engine of radio loud AGN. Thus, establishing such a class of objects is an important diagnostic for filtering through the myriad of theoretical possibilities. This paper attempts to establish a class of quasars that have existed in a state of kinetic dominance, R(t) Q(t)/Lbol(t)>1, at some epoch, t. It is argued that the 10 quasars in this article with a long term time average Q(t), Q, that exceed LEdd are likely to have satisfied the condition R(t)>1 either presently or in the past based on the rarity of Lbol>LEdd quasars. Finally, the existence of these sources is discussed in the context of the theory of the central engine.

Create a lesson