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arXiv · 1004.2843

A path to radio-loudness through gas-poor galaxy mergers and the role of retrograde accretion

M. Dotti·M. Colpi·L. Maraschi·A. Perego·M. Volonteri
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Abstract

In this proceeding we explore a pathway to radio-loudness under the hypothesis that retrograde accretion onto giant spinning black holes leads to the launch of powerful jets, as seen in radio loud QSOs and recently in LAT/Fermi and BAT/Swift Blazars. Counter-rotation of the accretion disc relative to the BH spin is here associated to gas-poor galaxy mergers progenitors of giant (missing-light) ellipticals. The occurrence of retrograde accretion enters as unifying element that may account for the radio-loudness/galaxy morphology dichotomy observed in AGN.

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M. Dotti, M. Colpi, L. Maraschi, A. Perego, M. Volonteri. 2010-10-18. A path to radio-loudness through gas-poor galaxy mergers and the role of retrograde accretion. https://arxiv.org/abs/1004.2843

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