Star-forming tori in Seyfert nuclei

Abstract

In the simple unified model for Seyfert nuclei, type 2 Seyferts are those where direct view of the central source is blocked by a dusty molecular torus. This simple model is able to explain many observed properties of Seyfert nuclei but fails to explain the UV excess observed in the continuum of many type 2 Seyferts, the relatively low level of continuum polarization, and the undiluted near IR stellar absorptions. The simplest solution is to postulate a continuum source on top of the scattered nuclear one. I discuss here some of the implications of having young stars in the torus providing the additional continuum.