The Variability of Optical Narrow Lines in 3C 390.3

Details The Variability of Optical Narrow Lines in 3C 390.3 The Variability of Optical Narrow Lines in 3C 390.3

Jun 1995

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1995aj....109.2355z&link_type=abstract

Astronomical Journal v.109, p.2355

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

13

Radio Lines: Galaxies, Galaxies: Individual: 3C 390.3

Scientific paper

Based on the optical spectroscopic data, we study the intensities of the narrow lines in broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 between 1974 and 1990. The flux of [O III] λ4959 has declined by ~40% between 1974 and 1984. It has remained at a low level between 1984 and 1987, and then increased to a higher level since 1988, in step with the long-term variation of the underlying optical continuum and with the reported fading of narrow core of the Lyα and C IV emission line between 1978 and 1986. Differential variations are found among narrow lines, following a pattern in which low-ionization lines, such as [O I] λ6300 and [N II] λ6583, become relatively stronger. A significant change in the [O III] λ4363/4959 ratios took place around 1980, and the Hβ/Hα ratio has varied between 0.25 and 0.40, suggesting that we have observed emission from regions with different densities and extent of reddening. In 1984 when the continuum reached a minimum level, the fluxes of narrow lines declined within four months by ~40%. The short time scale of variations implies that the narrow-line region in this object must be compact (~1 lt yr) and dense (n ~> 10^6^ cm^-3^). The most probable scenario is the alignment of an elongated narrow-line region close to the line of sight, which would respond to the continuum variation without a significant lag.

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