Bolometric luminosity black-hole growth time and slim accretion discs in active galactic nuclei

Understand

We investigate the accretion rate, bolometric luminosity, black hole (BH) growth time and BH spin in a large AGN sample under the assumption that all such objects are powered via thin or slim accretion discs (ADs).

• We use direct estimates of the mass accretion rate, Mdot, to show that many currently used values of Lbol and Ledd are either under estimated or over estimated because they are based on bolometric correction factors that are adjusted to the properties of moderately accreting active galactic nuclei (AGN) and do not take into account the correct combination of BH mass, spin and accretion rate.
• The consistent application of AD physics to our sample of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) AGN leads to the following findings: 1.
• Even the most conservative assumption about the radiative efficiency of fast accreting BHs shows that many of these sources must contain slim ADs.