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The Nature of Liners

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2017

Timothy M. Heckman
Timothy M. Heckman*
Affiliation:
Astronomy Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20785, U.S.A.

Abstract

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LINER's (Low-Ionization Nuclear Emission-line Regions) are found in the majority of early-type (Sb or earlier) galaxies, and in some late-type and peculiar galaxies as well. Because they are so common but are not energized by normal stars, their nature is critical to our understanding of both the active galactic nucleus phenomenon and the evolution of normal galactic nuclei. After briefly reviewing the spectroscopic basis of the LINER classification, I summarize four alternative models for LINER's: 1) LINER's as “mini-Seyferts” in which the emission-line gas is photoionized by a more dilute version of the high-energy nonstellar continuum found in Seyfert nuclei. 2) LINER's as accretion flows of cooling gas originating in the halos of galaxies and/or in the intra-cluster medium. 3) LINER's as starburst-driven winds. 4) LINER's as colliding, shock-heated galaxies. After reviewing the evidence, I conclude that it is very likely that several (and possibly all) of the above models are needed to account for the diverse properties of LINER's. While LINER's would then not have a single unified explanation, they would have a direct bearing on many issues in extragalactic astronomy.

Type
VII. Low Level Activity and Intermediate Objects
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 121: Observational Evidences of Activity of Galaxies , 1987 , pp. 421 - 441
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1987 

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