Low luminosity AGN as seen by IUE

Abstract

During its lifetime, IUE has not solved the puzzle of the low luminosity active galactic nuclei. Rather, it has contributed to increase the number of unanswered questions and to reject some ideas obtained from observations in other wavelength ranges. Among LINERs IUE has found very different observational properties, pointing to the presence/co-existence of several gas ionization/powering mechanisms. A relation between AGN-like and star formation activity is strongly suggested by the measured UV fluxes in Seyfert 2 galaxies. Finally, IUE data demonstrates the presence of high velocity gas in the nucleus of Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies, that was questioned by optical observations.