Broad emission lines variability: a window into the heart of AGN

Abstract

The broad emission lines of active galactic nuclei (AGN) are known to vary both in flux and shape, and are often showing very complex line profiles. They can give us invaluable information about the kinematics and geometry of the broad line region (BLR) where these lines are originating from. The BLR is close to the supermassive black hole in AGN and may hold basic information about the formation and fueling of AGN.

Here we summarize the results of the line and continuum variability of a sample of broad line AGN, obtained with the long-term optical monitoring campaign performed with telescopes of SAO (Russia), OAGH and OAN-SPM (Mexico), and Calar Alto (Spain). We monitored different type of broad line AGN (double-peaked, radio loud and radio quiet, NLSy1 and a supermassive binary black hole candidate) which show different variability characteristics that can be explained by different physical properties in BLR.