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https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/joaa/036/04/0433-0445

Galaxies: active-galaxies; quasar: individual (Arp 102B, 3C 390.3, NGC 5548, NGC 4151, Ark 564); line: profiles.

The spectral variability of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is one of the key features that enables us to study in more detail, the structure of AGN emitting regions. Especially, the broad line profiles that vary both in flux and shape, give us invaluable information about the kinematics and geometry of the broad line region (BLR) where these lines are originating from. We give here a comparative review of the line shape variability in a sample of five type 1 AGNs, those with broad emission lines in their spectra, of the data obtained from the international long-term optical monitoring campaign coordinated by the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science. The main aim of this campaign is to study the physics and kinematics of the BLR on a uniform data set, focusing on the problems of the photoionization heating of the BLR and its geometry, where, in this paper, we give for a first time, a comparative analysis of the variabilty of five type 1 AGNs, discussing their complex BLR physics and geometry in the framework of the estimates of the supermassive black hole mass in AGN.

D. Ilić¹ L. Č. Popović^{1 2} A. I. Shapovalova³ A. N. Burenkov³ V. H. Chavushyan⁴ A. Kovačević¹

1. Department of Astronomy, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
2. Astronomical Observatory, Volgina 7, 11060 Belgrade 74, Serbia.
3. Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science, Nizhnij Arkhyz, Karachaevo-Cherkesia 369167, Russia.
4. Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Apartado Postal 51, CP 72000, Puebla, Pue. México.

Published

December 2015

Manuscript received

4 July 2015

Accepted

1 October 2015