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

Document Type

Article

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.