|
Several properties of the standard alpha-disc model for active galactic
nuclei (AGN) are not entirely consistent with AGN observations. As well as
such discrepencies, observations show evidence for the existence of high
mass outflow winds originating from the vicinity of the active black hole
(BH). Such winds may originate from various parts of the disc and could
change the local accretion rate which should alter the emitted spectral
energy distribution (SED) and affect the global disc luminosity and the BH
growth rate. The new calculations presented here show the effects of
several types of winds on the observed and inferred disc properties. Some
wind profiles can have a profound effect on the observed SED and can
perhaps explain the poorly understood deviations of AGN spectra from
standard disc spectra. We show a factor ~2 possible error in estimating
the disc luminosity and larger deviations in estimating L/\Ledd. The BH
growth rate computed without taking the effects of wind into account may be
significantly over-estimated. We also suggest a practical way to use the
observed SED in order to make first order corrections to BH growth rate and
account for the effects of disc winds.
|