arXiv subjects

A. I. Shapovalova

Publications and source records attributed to A. I. Shapovalova.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Long-term variability of the optical spectra of NGC 4151: II. Evolution of the broad Ha and Hb emission-line profiles

Results of the long-term (11 years, from 1996 to 2006) H$α$ and H$β$ line variations of the active galactic nucleus of NGC 4151 are presented. High quality spectra (S/N>50 and R~8A) of H$α$ and H$β$ were investigated. We analyzed line profile variations during monitoring period. Comparing the line profiles of H$α$ and H$β$, we studied different details (bumps, absorption features) in the line profiles. The variations of the different H$α$ and H$β$ line profile segments have been investigated. Also, we analyzed the Balmer decrement for whole line and for line segments. We found that the line profiles were strongly changing during the monitoring period, showing blue and red asymmetries. This indicates a complex BLR geometry of NGC 4151 with, at least, three kinematically distinct regions: one that contributes to the blue line wing, one to the line core and one to the red line wing. Such variation can be caused by an accelerating outflow starting very close to the black hole, where the red part may come from the region {closer to the black hole than the blue part, which is coming} from the region having the highest outflow velocities. Taking into account the fact that the BLR of NGC 4151 has a complex geometry (probably affected by an outflow) and that a portion of the broad line emission seems to have not a pure photoionization origin, one can ask the question whether the study of the BLR by reverberation mapping may be valid in the case of this galaxy.

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arXiv2009

Long term variability of the Broad Emission Line profiles in AGN

Results of a long-term monitoring ($\gtrsim 10$ years) of the broad line and continuum fluxes of three Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), 3C 390.3, NGC 4151, and NGC 5548, are presented. We analyze the H$α$ and H$β$ profile variations during the monitoring period and study different details (as bumps, absorption bands) which can indicate structural changes in the Broad Line Region (BLR). The BLR dimensions are estimated using the time lags between the continuum and the broad lines flux variations. We find that in the case of 3C 390.3 and NGC 5548 a disk geometry can explain both the broad line profiles and their flux variations, while the BLR of NGC 4151 seems more complex and is probably composed of two or three kinematically different regions.

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arXiv2009

Jet-BLR connection in the radio galaxy 3C 390.3

Variations of the optical continuum emission in the radio galaxy 3C 390.3 are compared to the properties of radio emission from the compact, sub-parsec-scale jet in this object. We showed that very long-term variations of optical continuum emission (>10 years) is correlated with the radio emission from the base of the jet located above the disk, while the optical long-term variations (1-2 years) follows the radio flares from the stationary component in the jet with time delay of about 1 year. This stationary feature is most likely to be a standing shock formed in the continuous relativistic flow seen at a distance of ~0.4 parsecs from the base of the jet. To account for the correlations observed we propose a model of the nuclear region of 3C 390.3 in which the beamed continuum emission from the jet and counterjet ionizes material in a subrelativistic outflow surrounding the jet. This results in the formation of two conical regions with double-peaked broad emission lines (in addition to the conventional broad line region around the central nucleus) at a distance ~0.6 parsecs from the central engine.

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arXiv2008

Long-term variability of the optical spectra of NGC 4151: I. Light curves and flux correlations

Results of a long-term spectral monitoring of the active galactic nucleus of NGC 4151 are presented (11 years, from 1996 to 2006). High quality spectra (S/N>50 in the continuum near Halpha and Hbeta) were obtained in the spectral range ~4000 to 7500 Å, with a resolution between 5 and 15 A, using the 6-m and the 1-m SAO's telescopes (Russia), the GHAO's 2.1-m telescope (Cananea, Mexico), and the OAN-SPM's 2.1-m telescope (San-Pedro, Mexico). The observed fluxes of the Halpha, Hbeta, Hgamma and HeII emission lines and of the continuum at the observed wavelength 5117 A, were corrected for the position angle, the seeing and the aperture effects. We found that the continuum and line fluxes varied strongly (up to a factor 6) during the monitoring period. The emission was maximum in 1996-1998, and there were two minima, in 2001 and in 2005. The Halpha, Hgamma and He II fluxes were well correlated with the Hbeta flux. We considered three characteristic periods during which the Hbeta and Halpha profiles were similar: 1996-1999, 2000-2001 and 2002-2006. The line to continuum flux ratios were different; in particular during the first period, the lines were not correlated with the continuum and saturated at high fluxes. In the second and third period, where the continuum flux was small, the Halpha and Hbeta fluxes were well correlated to the continuum flux, meaning that the ionizing continuum was a good extrapolation of the optical continuum. The CCFs are often asymmetrical and the time lags between the lines and the continuum are badly defined indicating the presence of a complex BLR, with dimensions from 1 to 50 light-days.

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arXiv2007

Probing the physical properties of the NGC 5548 Broad Line Region using Balmer lines

We investigate the physical characteristics of the Broad Line Region (BLR) of NGC 5548 using the Boltzmann plot (BP) method, that we applied on the Balmer lines observed from 1996 to 2004. We find that variability earlier detected in the lines, is also present in the temperature parameter A, obtained from the BP method. Using the BP temperature parameter A to calculate temperature, we find that the average temperature for the considered period was T$\approx$ 10000 K, and that varies from 5000 K (in 2002) to 15000 K (in 1998). This variation correlates with the AGN-component of the optical continuum flux (r=0.85) and may indicate the existence of an accretion disc in the BLR of NGC 5548.

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arXiv2004

Profile variability of the H-alpha and H-beta broad emission lines in NGC5548

Between 1996 and 2002, we have carried out a spectral monitoring program for the Seyfert galaxy NGC 5548. High quality spectra (S/N>50), covering the spectral range (4000-7500)AA were obtained with the 6 m and 1 m telescopes of SAO (Russia) and with the 2.1 m telescope GHO (Mexico). We found that both the flux in the lines and the continuum gradually decreased, reaching minimum values during May-June 2002. The mean, rms, and the averaged over years, observed and difference line profiles of H-alpha and H-beta reveal the double peaked structure at the radial velocity ~+-1000km/s. The relative intensity of these peaks changes with time. During 1996, the red peak was the brightest, while in 1998 - 2002, the blue peak became the brighter one. In 2000-2002 a distinct third peak appeared in the red wing of H-alpha and H-beta line profiles. The radial velocity of this feature decreased between 2000 and 2002 from ~+2500 km/s to ~+2000 km/s. The fluxes of the various parts of the line profiles are well correlated with each other and also with the continuum flux. Shape changes of the different parts of the broad line are not correlated with continuum variations and, apparently, are not related to reverberation effects. Changes of the integral Balmer decrement are, on average, anticorrelated with the continuum flux variations. This is probably due to an increasing role of collisional excitation as the ionizing flux decreases. Our results favor the formation of the broad Balmer lines in a turbulent accretion disc with large and moving "optically thick" inhomogeneities, capable of reprocessing the central source continuum.

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arXiv2001

Intermediate resolution H-beta spectroscopy and photometric monitoring of 3C 390.3 I. Further evidence of a nuclear accretion disk

We have monitored the AGN 3C390.3 between 1995 and 2000.Two large amplitude outbursts, of different duration, in continuum and H beta light were observed ie.: in October 1994 a brighter flare that lasted about 1000 days and in July 1997 another one that lasted about 700 days were detected. The flux in the H beta wings and line core vary simultaneously, a behavior indicative of predominantly circular motions in the BLR.Important changes of the Hbeta emission profiles were detected: at times, we found profiles with prominent asymmetric wings, as those normaly seen in Sy1s, while at other times, we observe profiles with weak almost symmetrical wings, similar to those seen in Sy1.8s. We found that the radial velocity difference between the red and blue bumps is anticorrelated with the light curves of H beta and continuum radiation.e found that the radial velocity difference between the red and blue bumps is anticorrelated with the light curves of H-beta and continuum radiation. Theoretical H-beta profiles were computed for an accretion disk, the observed profiles are best reproduced by an inclined disk (25 deg) whose region of maximum emission is located roughly at 200 Rg. The mass of the black hole in 3C 390.3, estimated from the reverberation analysis is Mrev = 2.1 x 10^9 Msun, ie. 5 times larger than previous estimates

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arXiv2001

A Spectroscopic and Photometric Study of Short-Timescale Variability in NGC5548

Results of a ground-based optical monitoring campaign on NGC5548 in June 1998 are presented. The broad-band fluxes (U,B,V), and the spectrophotometric optical continuum flux F_lambda(5100 A) monotonically decreased in flux while the broad-band R and I fluxes and the integrated emission-line fluxes of Halpha and Hbeta remained constant to within 5%. On June 22, a short continuum flare was detected in the broad band fluxes. It had an amplitude of about ~18% and it lasted only ~90 min. The broad band fluxes and the optical continuum F_lambda(5100 A) appear to vary simultaneously with the EUV variations. No reliable delay was detected for the broad optical emission lines in response to the EUVE variations. Narrow Hbeta emission features predicted as a signature of an accretion disk were not detected during this campaign. However, there is marginal evidence for a faint feature at lambda = 4962 A with FWHM=~6 A redshifted by Delta v = 1100 km/s with respect to Hbeta_narrow.

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arXiv1998

Steps Toward Determination of the Size and Structure of the Broad-Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei. XV. Long-Term Optical Monitoring of NGC 5548

We present the results of three years of ground-based observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548, which combined with previously reported data, yield optical continuum and broad-line H-beta light curves for a total of eight years. The light curves consist of over 800 points, with a typical spacing of a few days between observations. During this eight-year period, the nuclear continuum has varied by more than a factor of seven, and the H-beta emission line has varied by a factor of nearly six. The H-beta emission line responds to continuum variations with a time delay or lag of 10-20 days, the precise value varying somewhat from year to year. We find some indications that the lag varies with continuum flux in the sense that the lag is larger when the source is brighter.

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