The funded research will investigate the inner structures of Active Galactic Nucleii (AGN) by analyzing and modeling measurements of the polarization of the optical emission lines and continuum in large samples of Seyfert galaxies and their more luminous counterparts, radio-quiet quasars. The work will address the following problems in current AGN research: 1) the structure of the broad-emission line region; 2) the geometry and kinematics of the scattering gas flows around the accretion disk; and 3) the dependence of these structures on fundamental parameters such as black hole mass and accretion rate.
The broader impacts include training of undergraduates and a postdoc, dissemination via web pages, and a structured series of research experiences for local high school students.
