ISO spectroscopy: the study of active galaxies

Summary Infrared spectroscopy can greatly help in the understanding of the active galaxies phenomena, having the advantage over optical and UV spectroscopy of penetrating those nuclei heavily obscured by absorbing dust. The standard photoionization code CLOUDY by Ferland has been used to predict the intensities of the infrared ionic fine-structure lines. Examples of line ratio diagrams are presented which constrain the two main free parameters of the models (gas density and ionization parameter), and separate line emission in the different regions of active galaxies (Seyfert and LINER type nuclei, coronal emission region, starbursts). Moreover, some line ratio diagrams can disentangle emission-line components from shock excited and photodissociated gas. Finally we show that the observations of these infrared lines will be possible in the near future with the ISO (Infrared Space Observatory) spectrometers. Paper presented at the V Cosmic Physics National Conference, S. Miniato, November 27–30, 1990.