Mass of the black hole in the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy H 0507+164 from reverberation mapping

TL;DR

This study measures the black hole mass in the Seyfert galaxy H 0507+164 using reverberation mapping, analyzing optical variability to estimate the size of the broad line region and the black hole's mass.

Contribution

First reverberation mapping of H 0507+164 to determine its black hole mass using optical variability data.

Findings

Black hole mass estimated at 9.62 million solar masses.

Time delay of 3.01 days for H-beta line response.

Broad Line Region radius of 2.53 x 10^{-3} parsecs.

Abstract

We present the results of our optical monitoring campaign of the X-ray source H 0507+164, a low luminosity Seyfert 1.5 galaxy at a redshift z = 0.018. Spectroscopic observations were carried out during 22 nights in 2007, from the 21 of November to the 26 of December. Photometric observations in the R-band for 13 nights were also obtained during the same period. The continuum and broad line fluxes of the galaxy were found to vary during our monitoring period. The R-band differential light curve with respect to a companion star also shows a similar variability. Using cross correlation analysis, we estimated a time delay of 3.01 days (in the rest frame), of the response of the broad H-beta line fluxes to the variations in the optical continuum at 5100 angstroms. Using this time delay and the width of the H-beta line, we estimated the radius for the Broad Line Region (BLR) of 2.53 x 10^{-3} parsec, and a black hole mass of 9.62 x 10^{6} solar mass.