On the emission lines in active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets

Luigi Foschini

Published 2011-03-10, updated 2011-12-28Version 5

The effect of the observed continuum emitted from a relativistic jet on the measurement of the full width half maximum (FWHM) of an emission line is analyzed. If the jet contribution is not properly subtracted, the FWHM of the line could seem narrower than what it should be. The cases of emission line detected in BL Lac objects and gamma-ray Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (gamma-NLS1s) are addressed. It is shown that the smallness of the observed FWHM of the Ly alpha lines detected in three well-known BL Lacs, is an effect due to the combined action of both the relativistic jet and a weak accretion disc. Once removed the Doppler boosting of the jet continuum, the intrinsic FWHM of the lines are found to be in the usual range. Instead, the narrow permitted lines in gamma-NLS1s are really narrow, since the disc and the lines are much more powerful. This also confirms that gamma-NLS1 is really a new class of gamma-ray emitting AGN, different from blazars and radio galaxies.