Jets and accretion processes in active galactic nuclei: Further clues

Abstract

We present evidence in favour of a link between the luminosity radiatively dissipated in the central engine of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) and the kinetic power in their jets. This piece of evidence is based on the relation we find between the luminosity in broad emission lines and the kinetic power in pc-scale radio jets, for a sample of radio-loud quasars for which suitable data are available in the literature. We find that the ionizing luminosity and the kinetic one are of the same order of magnitude, suggesting that the processes responsible for them are somehow related. A strong magnetic field in equipartition with the radiation field could be responsible for regulating both processes. BL Lacertae (BL Lac) objects seem to follow a similar behaviour, but with comparatively fainter broad-line emission. © 1997 RAS.