Nature of UV Variability in NGC 4151 from IUE’s Intensive Monitoring Spectroscopic Data
Abstract
The International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite, launched in 1978 by NASA and ESA, has conducted highly successful long-term monitoring spectroscopic observations of many nearby (low-redshift) bright active galaxies, including NGC 1068, NGC 5548, NGC 7469, Fairall 9,MRK 335 and NGC 4151. Notably, IUE has monitored NGC 4151 more intensively than any other active galaxy, obtaining 414 spectra during its campaign from December 1 to 15, 1993. Here, we present results of our recent studies on the emission line and continuum variabilities characterised by the Rmax and Fvar parameters. From the analysis of the short timescale, intense monitoring data, we obtained Rmax values ranging between 2.14±0.02 and 1.62±0.01 corresponding to the UV continua 1270 Å, and 2705 Å, respectively. The corresponding Fvar values varied from 9.62±0.04% to 5.19±0.04 %. Furthermore, the Rmax values for the UV emission lines Lyα, C IV, He II, O III], C III] and Mg II have been found to be 4.09±0.06, 4.55±0.05, 13.65±0.68, 4.78±0.17, 2.76±0.02, respectively. The corresponding Fvar values obtained are 2.85±0.01 %, 26.51±0.06 %, 15.59±0.02 %, 48.93±1.79 %, 20.30±0.06% and 18.68±0.02 %, respectively. These results provide constraints on the amplitude of UV variability and the size of the broad-line region (BLR) in low luminosity Seyfert galaxies. The decreasing Fvar amplitudes of the UV continuum with respect to increasing wavelengths are significant results of the present study.