Relation between radio core length and black hole mass for active galactic nuclei

Abstract

We explore the relation between the linear length of radio core and the central black hole mass for a sample of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs). An empirical relation between the size of the broad line region (BLR) and optical luminosity is used to estimate the size of the BLR. The black hole mass is derived from Hβ linewidth and the radius of the BLR on the assumption that the clouds in BLRs are orbiting with Keplerian Velocities. A significant instrinsic correlation is found between the linear length of the core and the black hole mass, which implies that the jet formation is closely related with the central black hole. We also find a strong correlation between the black hole mass and the core luminosity.