Echo mapping of broad H-beta emission in NGC 5548
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA) Ohio State Univ., Columbus (USA)
A one-dimensional echo map of the broad H-beta emission-line region in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 is reconstructed by using a maximum entropy technique to model the variable optical continuum and integrated H-beta emission-line fluxes observed during the 1989-1990 monitoring campaign as reported by Peterson et al. (1991). The echo map has a strong peak at a time delay of 20 lt-days which has an unresolved full width of 20 days at half-maximum. The H-beta response at time delay zero is less than one-third of that at 20 days, implying a deficit of H-beta-emitting gas near the line of sight to the continuum source. This rules out spherically symmetric and edge-on disk geometries for isotropically emitting H-beta clouds. 7 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 5918369
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 367; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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