Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548

B. M. Peterson; P. Berlind; R. Bertram; K. Bischoff; N. G. Bochkarev; N. Borisov; A. N. Burenkov; M. Calkins; L. Carrasco; V. H. Chavushyan; R. Chornock; M. Dietrich; V. T. Doroshenko; O. V. Ezhkova; A. V. Filippenko; A. M. Gilbert; J. P. Huchra; W. Kollatschny; D. C. Leonard; W. Li; V. M. Lyuty; Yu F. Malkov; T. Matheson; N. I. Merkulova; V. P. Mikhailov; M. Modjaz; C. A. Onken; R. W. Pogge; V. I. Pronik; B. Qian; P. Romano; S. G. Sergeev; E. A. Sergeeva; A. I. Shapovalova; O. I. Spiridonova; J. Tao; S. Tokarz; J. R. Valdes; V. V. Vlasiuk; R. M. Wagner; B. J. Wilkes

doi:10.1086/344197

Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548

B. M. Peterson^*, P. Berlind, R. Bertram, K. Bischoff, N. G. Bochkarev, N. Borisov, A. N. Burenkov, M. Calkins, L. Carrasco, V. H. Chavushyan, R. Chornock, M. Dietrich, V. T. Doroshenko, O. V. Ezhkova, A. V. Filippenko, A. M. Gilbert, J. P. Huchra, W. Kollatschny, D. C. Leonard, W. LiV. M. Lyuty, Yu F. Malkov, T. Matheson, N. I. Merkulova, V. P. Mikhailov, M. Modjaz, C. A. Onken, R. W. Pogge, V. I. Pronik, B. Qian, P. Romano, S. G. Sergeev, E. A. Sergeeva, A. I. Shapovalova, O. I. Spiridonova, J. Tao, S. Tokarz, J. R. Valdes, V. V. Vlasiuk, R. M. Wagner, B. J. Wilkes

^*Corresponding author for this work

Physics and Astronomy

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Abstract

We present the final installment of an intensive 13 year study of variations of the optical continuum and broad Hβ emission line in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. The database consists of 1530 optical continuum measurements and 1248 Hβ measurements. The Hβ variations follow the continuum variations closely, with a typical time delay of about 20 days. However, a year-by-year analysis shows that the magnitude of emission-line time delay is correlated with the mean continuum flux. We argue that the data are consistent with the simple model prediction between the size of the broad-line region and the ionizing luminosity, r ∝ L_ion^1/2. Moreover, the apparently linear nature of the correlation between the Hβ response time and the nonstellar optical continuum F_opt arises as a consequence of the changing shape of the continuum as it varies, specifically F_opt ∝ F_UV^0.56.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	197-204
Number of pages	8
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	581
Issue number	1 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/344197
State	Published - Dec 10 2002

Keywords

Galaxies: Seyfert
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: individual (NGC 5548)
Galaxies: nuclei

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/344197

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Peterson, B. M., Berlind, P., Bertram, R., Bischoff, K., Bochkarev, N. G., Borisov, N., Burenkov, A. N., Calkins, M., Carrasco, L., Chavushyan, V. H., Chornock, R., Dietrich, M., Doroshenko, V. T., Ezhkova, O. V., Filippenko, A. V., Gilbert, A. M., Huchra, J. P., Kollatschny, W., Leonard, D. C., ... Wilkes, B. J. (2002). Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548. Astrophysical Journal, 581(1 I), 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1086/344197

@article{73074b5f6f334257b35e0c2508de529d,

title = "Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548",

abstract = "We present the final installment of an intensive 13 year study of variations of the optical continuum and broad Hβ emission line in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. The database consists of 1530 optical continuum measurements and 1248 Hβ measurements. The Hβ variations follow the continuum variations closely, with a typical time delay of about 20 days. However, a year-by-year analysis shows that the magnitude of emission-line time delay is correlated with the mean continuum flux. We argue that the data are consistent with the simple model prediction between the size of the broad-line region and the ionizing luminosity, r ∝ Lion1/2. Moreover, the apparently linear nature of the correlation between the Hβ response time and the nonstellar optical continuum Fopt arises as a consequence of the changing shape of the continuum as it varies, specifically Fopt ∝ FUV0.56.",

keywords = "Galaxies: Seyfert, Galaxies: active, Galaxies: individual (NGC 5548), Galaxies: nuclei",

author = "Peterson, {B. M.} and P. Berlind and R. Bertram and K. Bischoff and Bochkarev, {N. G.} and N. Borisov and Burenkov, {A. N.} and M. Calkins and L. Carrasco and Chavushyan, {V. H.} and R. Chornock and M. Dietrich and Doroshenko, {V. T.} and Ezhkova, {O. V.} and Filippenko, {A. V.} and Gilbert, {A. M.} and Huchra, {J. P.} and W. Kollatschny and Leonard, {D. C.} and W. Li and Lyuty, {V. M.} and Malkov, {Yu F.} and T. Matheson and Merkulova, {N. I.} and Mikhailov, {V. P.} and M. Modjaz and Onken, {C. A.} and Pogge, {R. W.} and Pronik, {V. I.} and B. Qian and P. Romano and Sergeev, {S. G.} and Sergeeva, {E. A.} and Shapovalova, {A. I.} and Spiridonova, {O. I.} and J. Tao and S. Tokarz and Valdes, {J. R.} and Vlasiuk, {V. V.} and Wagner, {R. M.} and Wilkes, {B. J.}",

year = "2002",

month = dec,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1086/344197",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "581",

pages = "197--204",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

number = "1 I",

}

Peterson, BM, Berlind, P, Bertram, R, Bischoff, K, Bochkarev, NG, Borisov, N, Burenkov, AN, Calkins, M, Carrasco, L, Chavushyan, VH, Chornock, R, Dietrich, M, Doroshenko, VT, Ezhkova, OV, Filippenko, AV, Gilbert, AM, Huchra, JP, Kollatschny, W, Leonard, DC, Li, W, Lyuty, VM, Malkov, YF, Matheson, T, Merkulova, NI, Mikhailov, VP, Modjaz, M, Onken, CA, Pogge, RW, Pronik, VI, Qian, B, Romano, P, Sergeev, SG, Sergeeva, EA, Shapovalova, AI, Spiridonova, OI, Tao, J, Tokarz, S, Valdes, JR, Vlasiuk, VV, Wagner, RM & Wilkes, BJ 2002, 'Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 581, no. 1 I, pp. 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1086/344197

TY - JOUR

T1 - Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548

AU - Peterson, B. M.

AU - Berlind, P.

AU - Bertram, R.

AU - Bischoff, K.

AU - Bochkarev, N. G.

AU - Borisov, N.

AU - Burenkov, A. N.

AU - Calkins, M.

AU - Carrasco, L.

AU - Chavushyan, V. H.

AU - Chornock, R.

AU - Dietrich, M.

AU - Doroshenko, V. T.

AU - Ezhkova, O. V.

AU - Filippenko, A. V.

AU - Gilbert, A. M.

AU - Huchra, J. P.

AU - Kollatschny, W.

AU - Leonard, D. C.

AU - Li, W.

AU - Lyuty, V. M.

AU - Malkov, Yu F.

AU - Matheson, T.

AU - Merkulova, N. I.

AU - Mikhailov, V. P.

AU - Modjaz, M.

AU - Onken, C. A.

AU - Pogge, R. W.

AU - Pronik, V. I.

AU - Qian, B.

AU - Romano, P.

AU - Sergeev, S. G.

AU - Sergeeva, E. A.

AU - Shapovalova, A. I.

AU - Spiridonova, O. I.

AU - Tao, J.

AU - Tokarz, S.

AU - Valdes, J. R.

AU - Vlasiuk, V. V.

AU - Wagner, R. M.

AU - Wilkes, B. J.

PY - 2002/12/10

Y1 - 2002/12/10

N2 - We present the final installment of an intensive 13 year study of variations of the optical continuum and broad Hβ emission line in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. The database consists of 1530 optical continuum measurements and 1248 Hβ measurements. The Hβ variations follow the continuum variations closely, with a typical time delay of about 20 days. However, a year-by-year analysis shows that the magnitude of emission-line time delay is correlated with the mean continuum flux. We argue that the data are consistent with the simple model prediction between the size of the broad-line region and the ionizing luminosity, r ∝ Lion1/2. Moreover, the apparently linear nature of the correlation between the Hβ response time and the nonstellar optical continuum Fopt arises as a consequence of the changing shape of the continuum as it varies, specifically Fopt ∝ FUV0.56.

AB - We present the final installment of an intensive 13 year study of variations of the optical continuum and broad Hβ emission line in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548. The database consists of 1530 optical continuum measurements and 1248 Hβ measurements. The Hβ variations follow the continuum variations closely, with a typical time delay of about 20 days. However, a year-by-year analysis shows that the magnitude of emission-line time delay is correlated with the mean continuum flux. We argue that the data are consistent with the simple model prediction between the size of the broad-line region and the ionizing luminosity, r ∝ Lion1/2. Moreover, the apparently linear nature of the correlation between the Hβ response time and the nonstellar optical continuum Fopt arises as a consequence of the changing shape of the continuum as it varies, specifically Fopt ∝ FUV0.56.

KW - Galaxies: Seyfert

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Galaxies: individual (NGC 5548)

KW - Galaxies: nuclei

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0041530232&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0041530232&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/344197

DO - 10.1086/344197

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:0041530232

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 581

SP - 197

EP - 204

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 I

ER -

Steps toward determination of the size and structure of the broad-line region in active galactic nuclei. XVI. A 13 year study of spectral variability in NGC 5548

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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