Emission-Line and Continuum Reverberation Mapping of the NLS1 Galaxy WPVS 48

Abstract

WPVS 48 is a nearby narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy without previous analysis of the broad-line region (BLR) by means of optical spectroscopic reverberation mapping. By studying the continuum and emission line variability of WPVS 48, we aim to infer the BLR size as well as the mass of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We analyse data from a dedicated optical spectroscopic reverberation mapping campaign of WPVS 48 taken with the 10 m Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) at 24 epochs over a period of 7 months between December 2013 and June 2014. WPVS 48 shows variability throughout the campaign. We find a stratified BLR, where the variability amplitude of the integrated emission lines decreases with distance to the ionizing continuum source. Specifically, the variable emission of H$\alpha$, H$\beta$, H$\gamma$, He I $\lambda 5876$ originates at distances of $16.0_{-2.0}^{+4.0}$, $15.0_{-1.9}^{+4.5}$, $12.5_{-2.5}^{+3.5}$ and $14.0_{-2.1}^{+2.5}$ light-days, respectively, to the optical continuum at 5100 A. The He II $\lambda 4686$ lag is $\lesssim 5$ days. Based on the high S/N spectra, we identify variable emission of N III $\lambda 4640$ and C IV $\lambda 4658$ in the line complex with He II $\lambda 4686$. We derive interband continuum delays increasing with wavelength up to $\sim 8$ days. These delays are consistent with an additional diffuse continuum originating at the same distance as the variable Balmer emission. We derive a central black hole mass of $(1.3_{-0.6}^{+1.1})\times 10^7{M}_{\odot }$ based on the integrated line-widths and distances of the BLR and discuss corrections for the inclination angle. This gives an Eddington ratio $L/L_{\text{Edd}}\approx 0.39$ without correction for inclination.

arXiv comment22 pages, 17 figures

References in corpus (65)

• Measuring Reddening with SDSS Stellar Spectra and Recalibrating SFD
• Central Masses and Broad-Line Region Sizes of Active Galactic Nuclei. II. A Homogeneous Analysis of a Large Reverberation-Mapping Database
• Determining Central Black Hole Masses in Distant Active Galaxies and Quasars. II. Improved Optical and UV Scaling Relationships
• A Cosmology Calculator for the World Wide Web
• The Low-Luminosity End of the Radius-Luminosity Relationship for Active Galactic Nuclei
• Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei. II. Calibration of the M-sigma Relationship for AGNs
• Black Hole Mass and Eddington Ratio as Drivers for the Observable Properties of Radio-Loud and Radio-Quiet QSOs
• The Lick AGN Monitoring Project: Broad-Line Region Radii and Black Hole Masses from Reverberation Mapping of Hbeta
• An expanded M_bh-sigma diagram, and a new calibration of active galactic nuclei masses
• Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. III. Optical Continuum Emission and Broad-Band Time Delays in NGC 5548
• Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. II. Swift and HST Reverberation Mapping of the Accretion Disk of NGC 5548
• Narrow-line region gas kinematics of 24,264 optically-selected AGN: the radio connection
• Optical Continuum and Emission-Line Variability of Seyfert 1 Galaxies
• A spectrophotometric atlas of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxies
• Cold gas stripping in satellite galaxies: from pairs to clusters
• What the Optical Recombination Lines Can Tell Us About the Broad Line Regions of Active Galactic Nuclei
• Stellar Velocity Dispersion Measurements in High-Luminosity Quasar Hosts and Implications for the AGN Black Hole Mass Scale
• Reverberation mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei: from X-ray corona to dusty torus
• Reverberation Mapping Results for Five Seyfert 1 Galaxies
• The Lick AGN Monitoring Project: Reverberation Mapping of Optical Hydrogen and Helium Recombination Lines
• Analysis of optical Fe II emission in a sample of AGN spectra
• A Complete Sample of Soft X-ray Selected AGN: II. Statistical Analysis
• Steps Toward Determination of the Size and Structure of the Broad-Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei. XVI. A Thirteen-Year Study of Spectral Variability in NGC 5548
• The Structure of the Broad Line Region in AGN: I. Reconstructed Velocity-Delay Maps
• The First Swift Intensive AGN Accretion Disk Reverberation Mapping Survey
• Bolometric correction factors for Active Galactic Nuclei
• Systematic Errors in the Estimation of Black Hole Masses by Reverberation Mapping
• Accretion disk wind in the AGN broad-line region: Spectroscopically resolved line profile variations in Mrk110
• Accretion disk reverberation with Hubble Space Telescope observations of NGC 4593: evidence for diffuse continuum lags
• The Variable Diffuse Continuum Emission of Broad Line Clouds
• The characteristic blue spectra of accretion disks in quasars as uncovered in the infrared
• X-ray/UV/optical variability of NGC 4593 with Swift: Reprocessing of X-rays by an extended reprocessor
• Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. V. Optical Spectroscopic Campaign and Emission-Line Analysis for NGC 5548
• A Revised Broad-Line Region Radius and Black Hole Mass for the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 NGC 4051
• The broad emission-line region: the confluence of the outer accretion disc with the inner edge of the dusty torus
• The UV Continuum of Quasars: Models and SDSS Spectral Slopes
• Reverberation Mapping of Optical Emission Lines in Five Active Galaxies
• A new class of flares from accreting supermassive black holes
• Intensive disc-reverberation mapping of Fairall 9: 1st year of Swift & LCO monitoring
• Photometric AGN reverberation mapping - an efficient tool for BLR sizes, black hole masses and host-subtracted AGN luminosities
• Spectral Optical Monitoring of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Ark 564
• Correlation Analysis of a Large Sample of Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies: Linking Central Engine and Host Properties
• On the geometry of broad emission region in quasars
• The shape of broad-line profiles in AGN
• The Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Evolution of the Low-Luminosity Tidal Disruption Event iPTF16fnl
• Long-Term Optical Continuum Color Variability of Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei
• On the multi-wavelength variability of Mrk 110: Two components acting at different timescales
• Short-term emission line and continuum variations in Mrk110
• Spectral optical monitoring of 3C390.3 in 1995-2007: I. Light curves and flux variation of the continuum and broad lines
• PS1-10jh Continues to Follow the Fallback Accretion Rate of a Tidally Disrupted Star
• Magnetic pressure support and accretion disk spectra
• Spin orientation of supermassive black holes in active galaxies
• The BH mass of nearby QSOs: a comparison of the bulge luminosity and virial methods
• Determination of the Central Mass in Active Galactic Nuclei Using Cross-Correlation Lags and Velocity Dispersions
• Broad-line region structure and kinematics in the radio galaxy 3C 120
• A New Iron Emission Template for Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Optical Template for the H$\beta$ region
• Quasar Cartography: from Black Hole to Broad Line Region Scales
• Broad-line region structure and line profile variations in the changing look AGN HE1136-2304
• Fe II emission in active galactic nuclei
• AT 2021loi: A Bowen Fluorescence Flare with a Rebrightening Episode, Occurring in a Previously-Known AGN
• The transient event in NGC 1566 from 2017 to 2019 -- I. An eccentric accretion disk and a turbulent, disk-dominated broad-line region unveiled by double-peaked Ca II and O I lines
• The Active Galactic Nuclei in the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment Survey (HETDEX) I. Sample selection
• Reverberation Mapping of PG 0934+013 with the Southern African Large Telescope
• On the Performance of Quasar Reverberation Mapping in the Era of Time-Domain Photometric Surveys
• The Great Slump: Mrk926 reveals discrete and varying Balmer line satellite components during a drastic phase of decline