Size and disk-like shape of the broad-line region of ESO 399-IG20

¹ Astronomisches Institut, Ruhr–Universität Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
e-mail: francisco.pozon@gmail.com
² Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Católica del Norte, Avenida Angamos 0610, Casilla 1280 Antofagasta, Chile
³ Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK

Received: 6 January 2013
Accepted: 5 February 2013

Abstract

We present photometric reverberation mapping of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy ESO 399-IG20 performed with the robotic 15 cm telescope VYSOS-6 at the Cerro Armazones Observatory. Through the combination of broad- and narrow-band filters we determine the size of the broad-line emitting region (BLR) by measuring the time delay between the variability of the continuum and the Hα emission line. We use the flux variation gradient method to separate the host galaxy contribution from that of the active galactic nucleus (AGN), and to calculate the 5100 Å luminosity L_AGN of the AGN. Both measurements permit us to derive the position of ESO 399-IG20 in the BLR size – AGN luminosity R_BLR ∝ L_AGN^0.5 diagram. We infer the basic geometry of the BLR through modeling of the light curves. The pronounced sharp variability patterns in both the continuum and the emission line light curves allow us to reject a spherical BLR geometry. The light curves are best fitted by a disk-like BLR seen nearly face-on with an inclination angle of 6° ± 3° and with an extension from 16 to 20 light days.