Reverberation Mapping of Two Variable Active Galactic Nuclei: Probing the Distinct Characteristics of the Inner and Outer Broad-line Regions

TL;DR

This study uses multiline reverberation mapping on two AGNs to reveal detailed structure, stratification, and kinematic behaviors of their broad-line regions, providing insights into BLR geometry and evolution.

Contribution

First multiline RM study on these AGNs, uncovering distinct inner and outer BLR characteristics and their kinematic behaviors, advancing understanding of BLR structure.

Findings

Inner BLR shows outflow in KUG 1141+371 and virial motion in UGC 3374.

Outer BLR exhibits virialized motion in KUG 1141+371 and inflow in UGC 3374.

Detected breathing and anti-breathing behaviors linked to BLR properties.

Abstract

Current reverberation mapping (RM) studies primarily focus on single emission lines, particularly the \hb\ line, which may not fully reveal the geometry and kinematic properties of the broad-line region (BLR). To overcome this limitation, we conducted multiline RM observations on two highly variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs), KUG 1141+371 and UGC 3374, using the Lijiang 2.4 m telescope. Our goal was to investigate the detailed structure of different regions within the BLR. We measured the time lags of multiple broad emission lines (\ha, \hb, \hg, \hei, and \heii) and found clear evidence of radial ionization stratification in the BLRs of both AGNs. Velocity-resolved RM analysis revealed distinct geometry and kinematics between the inner and outer regions of the BLRs. Assuming that velocity-resolved lags reflect the kinematics of BLR, our observations indicate that: (1) in KUG 1141+371, the inner BLR exhibits outflow signatures, while the outer region is consistent with virialized motion; (2) in UGC 3374, the inner region displays virial motion, while the outer region shows inflow. Furthermore, we detected ``breathing" behavior in the outer BLR regions of both AGN, while the inner BLR regions show ``anti-breathing", which may be linked to intrinsic BLR properties. We discuss these findings in the context of various BLR formation models, highlighting importance of long-term, multiline RM campaigns in understanding of BLR structure and evolution. Additionally, our results suggest that the observed stratification in BLR geometry and kinematics may contribute to the scatter in black hole mass estimates and the rapid changes in velocity-resolved RM signatures reported in recent studies.