Spectropolarimetry of the Luminous Narrow-Line Seyfert Galaxies IRAS 20181-2244 and IRAS 13224-3809

Abstract

We observed the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies IRAS 20181-2244 and IRAS 13324-3809 with a new spectropolarimeter on the RC spectrograph at the CTIO 4m telescope. Previously it had been suggested that IRAS 20181-2244 was a Type 2 QSO and thus might contain an obscured broad-line region which could be detected by the presence of broad Balmer lines in the polarized flux. We found the object to be polarized at about 2%, and constant with wavelength, (unlike most narrow-line Seyfert 1s), but with no evidence of broad Balmer lines in polarized flux. The spectropolarimetry indicates that the scattering material is inside the BLR. IRAS 13224-3809, notable for its high variability in X-ray and UV wavelengths, has a low polarization consistent with a Galactic interstellar origin.

19 pages using (AASTEX) aaspp4.sty and 5 postscript figures To be published in the Astrophysical Journal

References in corpus (5)

• Maps of Dust IR Emission for Use in Estimation of Reddening and CMBR Foregrounds
• ROSAT monitoring of persistent giant and rapid variability in the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224-3809
• The Optical Polarization and Warm Absorber in IRAS 17020+4544
• Optical and X-ray Spectroscopy of 1E 0449.4-1823: Demise of the original type 2 QSO
• A Hidden Broad-Line Region in the Weak Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 788

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• Radio-loud Narrow Line Seyfert 1 under a different perspective: a revised black hole mass estimate from optical spectropolarimetry
• Are there reliable methods to estimate the nuclear orientation of Seyfert galaxies?
• An AGN Identification for 3EG J2006-2321
• On the orientation of Narrow Line Seyfert I