Covering Factor of the Dust-Driven Broad-Line Region Clouds

Abstract

The origin of the broad-line region (BLR) clouds in active galactic nuclei is still under discussion. We develop a scenario in which the clouds in the outer, less ionized part of the BLR are launched by the radiation pressure acting on dust. Most of the outflow forms a failed wind, so we refer to it as failed radiatively accelerated dusty outflow (FRADO), but, for a certain parameter range, actual outflow also takes place. We aim to test the model predictions. In this paper, we present the calculation of the angular distribution of clouds and the net covering factor as this affects the fraction of radiation that can be intercepted and reprocessed in the form of the Hβ or Mg II emission line. The results reveal that the covering factor is intricately linked to the mass, accretion rate, and metallicity of the clouds. Notably, as these parameters increase, so does the covering factor, shedding light on the dynamic interplay between the central engine and the surrounding material in AGNs.

Keywords

• covering factor
• broad-line region
• active galaxies
• dust-driving mechanism
• radiation pressure
• FRADO model