Spectral energy distributions of active galactic nuclei between 0.1 and 100 microns

Abstract

The authors have combined new photometry from IRAS with ground-based optical and near-infrared spectrophotometry and ultraviolet spectrophotometry from IUE to study the spectral energy distributions from 0.1 to 100 μm for 29 active galactic nuclei. After correcting for the effects of starlight and foreground and internal reddening, the authors fitted the spectra with a simple model. The results are used to derive parameters of the radiation mechanisms and to discuss the relative importance of non-thermal and thermal emission at infrared wavelengths.