AGN: Accretion onto SMBH

Accretion Disk

“Torus” Obscurer

Galactic Center gas

Star forming regions

e.g. in spiral arms

• Accretion flow?
• SMBH growth over cosmic time?
• Self-regulation?
• AGN-galaxy connection?

• How is it stable and extended?
• Density? Substructure?
• Feeding of SMBH?

1/3 AGN heavily obscured

3/4 AGN mildly obscured

Buchner+15