Spectral Energy Distribution of the central parsecs of AGN M. Almudena Prieto (IAC) Preston, September 2011

PARSEC project  Focus on the nearest and brightest AGN  Widest spectral range coverage  Angular scales < 0.1”  UV + OP + IR + radio Adaptive Optics µm  θ < 0.1” 8-10 m diffraction µm  θ < 0.4” HST µm  θ < 0.1” VLA-A/ ATCA  θ < 0.1”

1”/parsec Core size in parsecs µm T2 CenA 16 < 1 T2 Circinus 19 ~ 2 L Sombrero 66 < 12 T2 N < 4 L N < 11 L M < 11 T2 N < 6 T1 N < 11 L N < 13 T2 MCG < 19 T1 N < 16 T1 N < 26 T1.5 Mrk < 40 QSO 3C < 180 Some of the nearest …

Impact on the Spectral Energy Distribution S1 S2 L cm IR OPUV X S2

S1 “+ “ IRAS, ISO, SPITZER, and/or millimetre data L cm IR OPUV X S2

S1 average S1 average S2 SEDs central 10 parcsec average S1 average S2 Elvis+ 94: RL quasar template

IR core IR(Large-aperture IRcore /Total / core Li N % S2/RG CenA % S1 N % S2 Circinus % S2 N % S2 N % S2 N % S1 N % S1 N % Q/RL Elvis ? 50% Q/RL 3C % The true energy output in the IR

Summary IRAS / ISO/ SPITZER data used successfully to characterise AGN: IR colors, IR-radio correlations, IR-line- emission correlations … This is surprising considering that: –Core SEDs differ dramatically from those derived from large aperture data –Core luminosities overestimated by order of magnitude High spatial resolution SEDs show progressive transition from Seyfert 2 to 1 to RL Quasars: variations explained in terms of central dust obscuration and view angle.