Issue |
A&A
Volume 549, January 2013
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A100 | |
Number of page(s) | 10 | |
Section | Extragalactic astronomy | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201219411 | |
Published online | 04 January 2013 |
The shape of broad-line profiles in active galactic nuclei
Institut für Astrophysik, Universität Göttingen,
Friedrich-Hund Platz
1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
e-mail: wkollat@astro.physik.uni-goettingen.de
Received: 13 April 2012
Accepted: 5 November 2012
Aims. We present a study of the broad optical/UV emission line profiles in active galactic nuclei (AGN) to get information on the dominant velocity components (turbulence, rotation, etc.) in the central broad-line region (BLR).
Methods. We introduce line broadening simulations of emission line profiles and compare these results with the largest homogeneous data set of reverberation-mapped AGN.
Results. The underlying broad-line profiles in AGN are Lorentzian profiles caused by turbulence in the line emitting region. The turbulent velocities are different for the different line emitting regions of Hγ, Hα, Lyα, C iii] λ1909, He ii λ1640, and Si iv λ1400. The turbulent velocities go from 400 km s-1 for Hβ up to 3800 km s-1 for Lyα + N v λ1240. The dominating broadening mechanism of these profiles is broadening due to rotation. The rotation velocities causing the line profile broadening go from 500 km s-1 up to 6500 km s-1. Here we present interrelations between observed emission line widths (FWHM) and their related rotational velocities to correct for the contribution of the turbulence to the broad-line profiles.
Key words: accretion, accretion disks / line: profiles / galaxies: Seyfert / galaxies: active / quasars: emission lines
© ESO, 2013
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