Steps toward Determination of the Size and Structure of the Broad-Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei, XII: Ground-based Monitoring of 3C 390.3

Authors

M. Dietrich, Landessternwarte Heidelberg
Bradley M. Peterson, Ohio State UniversityFollow
P. Albrecht, Universitäts-Sternwarte Göttingen
M. Altmann, Universitäts-Sternwarte Bonn
A. J. Barth, University of California - Berkeley
P. J. Bennie, University of St. Andrews
R. Bertram, Lowell Observatory
N. G. Bochkarev, Sternberg Astronomical Institute
H. Bock, Landessternwarte Heidelberg
J. M. Braun, Universitäts-Sternwarte Bonn
A. Burenkov, Russian Academy of Sciences
S. Collier, University of St. Andrews
L.-Z. Fang, University of Arizona
O. P. Francis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
A. V. Filippenko, University of California - BerkeleyFollow
C. B. Foltz, University of Arizona
W. Gassler, Universitäts-Sternwarte München
C. Martin Gaskell, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
M. Geffert, Universitäts-Sternwarte Bonn
K. K. Ghosh, Indian Institute of Astrophysics
R. W. Hilditch, University of St. Andrews
R.K. Honeycutt, Indiana University - Bloomington
K. Horne, University of St. Andrews
J. P. Huchra, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Shai Kaspi, Tel Aviv UniversityFollow
M. Kummel, Landessternwarte Heidelberg
K. M. Leighly, Columbia University
D. C, Leonard, University of California - Berkeley
Yu. F. Malkov, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
V. Mikhailov, Russian Academy of Sciences
H. Richard Miller, Georgia State UniversityFollow
A. C. Morrill, Boston University
J. Noble, Western Kentucky University
Paul T. O'Brien, University of LeicesterFollow
T. D. Oswalt, Florida Institute of Technology
S. P. Pebley, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
M. Pfeiffer, Landessternwarte Heidelberg
V. I. Pronik, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
B.-C. Qian, Chinese Academy of Sciences
J. W. Robertson, Indiana University
A. Robinson, University of Hertfordshire
Kenneth S. Rumstay, Valdosta State UniversityFollow
J. Schmoll, Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam
S. G. Sergeev, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
E. A. Sergeeva, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
A. I. Shapovalova, Russian Academy of Sciences
D. R. Skillman, Center for Basement Astrophysics
Stephanie A. Snedden, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
S. Soundararajaperumal, Indian Institute of Astrophysics
G. M. Stirpe, Osservatorio Astronomica di Bologna
J. Tao, Florida Institute of Technology
G. W. Turner, Indiana University - Bloomington
R. M. Wagner, Lowell Observatory
S. J. Wagner, Landessternwarte Heidelberg
J. Y. Wei, Beijing Astronomical Observatory
H. Wu, Beijing Astronomical Observatory
W. Zheng, Johns Hopkins University
Z. L. Zhou, Beijing Astronomical Observatory

Date of this Version

4-1-1998

Citation

Astrophysics Journal Supplement (1998) 115

Comments

Copyright 1998, University of Chicago. Used by permission

Abstract

Results of a ground-based optical monitoring campaign on 3C 390.3 in 1994-1995 are presented. The broadband fluxes (B, V , R, and I), the spectrophotometric optical continuum flux F_λ(5177 Å), integrated emission-line fluxes of Hα, Hβ, Hγ, He _I λ5876, and He _II λ4686 all show a nearly monotonic increase with episodes of milder short-term variations superposed. The amplitude of the continuum variations increases with decreasing wavelength (4400-9000 Å). The optical continuum variations follow the variations in the ultraviolet and X-ray with time delays, measured from the centroids of the crosscorrelation functions, typically around 5 days, but with uncertainties also typically around 5 days; zero time delay between the high-energy and low-energy continuum variations cannot be ruled out. The strong optical emission lines Hα, Hβ, Hγ, He _I λ5876 respond to the high-energy continuum variations with time delays typically about 20 days, with uncertainties of about 8 days. There is some evidence that He _II λ4686 responds somewhat more rapidly, with a time delay of around 10 days, but again, the uncertainties are quite large (~8 days). The mean and rms spectra of the Hα and Hβ line profiles provide indications for the existence of at least three distinct components located at ±4000 and 0 km s^-1 relative to the line peak. The emission-line profile variations are largest near line center.