High-rate spectroscopic active galactic nucleus monitoring at the Wise Observatory. II. NGC 5548
- Tel Aviv Univ. Observatory (Israel)
Further results are reported from the spectroscopic monitoring of AGN, described by Maoz et al. (1990), for the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5548. The high sampling rate (44 spectra during a 149-day period) and measurement accuracy (3-4 percent in absolute flux) of the observations allow the resolution of a small pulse in H-alpha, H-beta, and the optical continuum in this object during May-June of 1988. Cross-correlation of the line and continuum light curves yields a very significant peak at a lag of 7 days in the mission-line response to continuum variations. Using Monte-Carlo simulations, the size of the broad-line region (BLR) in this galaxy is found to be 4-10 lt-days with a probability of 68 percent. These results rule out, at the 95-percent significance level, a BLR 14 lt-days or larger for several different assumed gas distributions. 37 refs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6865205
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (USA) Vol. 353; ISSN ASJOA; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BALMER LINES
CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICES
COSMIC GASES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUIDS
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
GASES
IONIZATION
LINE WIDTHS
MONITORING
MONTE CARLO METHOD
PHOTOIONIZATION
RADIATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEYFERT GALAXIES
SPECTROSCOPY
VARIATIONS
VISIBLE RADIATION