Modeling reverberation mapping data II: dynamical modeling of the Lick AGN Monitoring Project 2008 dataset

Understand

We present dynamical modeling of the broad line region (BLR) for a sample of five Seyfert 1 galaxies using reverberation mapping data taken by the Lick AGN Monitoring Project in 2008.

• By modeling the AGN continuum light curve and H$\beta$ line profiles directly we are able to constrain the geometry and kinematics of the BLR and make a measurement of the black hole mass that does not depend upon the virial factor, $f$, needed in traditional reverberation mapping analysis.
• We find that the geometry of the BLR is generally a thick disk viewed close to face-on.
• While the H$\beta$ emission is found to come preferentially from the far side of the BLR, the mean size of the BLR is consistent with the lags measured with cross-correlation analysis.