Dust and gas in active galaxies

Abstract

There are strong evidences which favour the existence of dust in active galaxies. Understanding the way in which dust interacts with the radiation and influences the physical conditions of the gas is crucial if we want to learn about the nature of the central active nucleus and about the physical conditions of the ISM in such galaxies. Not taking into account such effects may lead us towards misleading interpretations. Many intriguing questions concerns to the nature and the existence of dust in active galaxies: for instance, under which conditions does the very hard ionizing continuum of an AGN allows the survival of dust grains? Is the composition and size distribution of the dust the same as in our local interstellar medium? How is dust distributed compared to the gas which is at least in part highly ionized by the central AGN? Does dust also exist in radio galaxies at very high redshifts? The work developed in this thesis tries to find answers to some of these questions, through a detailed theoretical and observational research of the mechanisms which control the interaction of dust with the radiation and with the ions. The observable effects of the dust on the emission line spectrum are also analyzed in detail. The final goal has been to give clues about more general questions: origin of the emitting gas, ionization mechanisms, geometry, connection between low and high redshift active galaxies or the validity of the unification scenario. This thesis tries, in summary, to provide a clearer understanding of active galaxies in general.