The Structure of the Broad Line Region in AGN: I. Reconstructed Velocity-Delay Maps

TL;DR

This paper presents velocity-resolved reverberation mapping of five active galactic nuclei, revealing unique dynamical signatures and supporting the reliability of reverberation-based black hole mass measurements.

Contribution

It provides the first velocity-delay maps for multiple AGN, demonstrating diverse gas dynamics and validating reverberation mapping techniques.

Findings

Velocity-delay maps show diverse gas motions in AGN BLRs.

Evidence of inflow, disk-like rotation, and virial motion in different objects.

Supports the reliability of reverberation-based black hole mass estimates.

Abstract

We present velocity-resolved reverberation results for five active galactic nuclei. We recovered velocity-delay maps using the maximum-entropy method for four objects: Mrk 335, Mrk 1501, 3C120, and PG2130+099. For the fifth, Mrk 6, we were only able to measure mean time delays in different velocity bins of the Hbeta emission line. The four velocity-delay maps show unique dynamical signatures for each object. For 3C120, the Balmer lines show kinematic signatures consistent with both an inclined disk and infalling gas, but the HeII 4686 emission line is suggestive only of inflow. The Balmer lines in Mrk 335, Mrk 1501, and PG 2130+099 show signs of infalling gas, but the HeII emission in Mrk 335 is consistent with an inclined disk. We also see tentative evidence of combined virial motion and infalling gas from the velocity-binned analysis of Mrk 6. The maps for 3C120 and Mrk 335 are two of the most clearly defined velocity-delay maps to date. These maps constitute a large increase in the number of objects for which we have resolved velocity-delay maps and provide evidence supporting the reliability of reverberation-based black hole mass measurements.