Bibcode
DOI
Crenshaw, D. M.; Rodriguez-Pascual, P. M.; Penton, S. V.; Edelson, R. A.; Alloin, D.; Ayres, T. R.; Clavel, J.; Horne, K.; Johnson, W. N.; Kaspi, S.; Korista, K. T.; Kriss, G. A.; Krolik, J. H.; Malkan, M. A.; Maoz, D.; Netzer, H.; O'Brien, P. T.; Peterson, B. M.; Reichert, G. A.; Shull, J. M.; Ulrich, M.-H.; Wamsteker, W.; Warwick, R. S.; Yaqoob, T.; Balonek, T. J.; Barr, P.; Bromage, G. E.; Carini, M.; Carone, T. E.; Cheng, F.-Z.; Chuvaev, K. K.; Dietrich, M.; Doroshenko, V. T.; Dultzin-Hacyan, D.; Filippenko, A. V.; Gaskell, C. M.; Glass, I. S.; Goad, M. R.; Hutchings, J.; Kazanas, D.; Kollatschny, W.; Koratkar, A. P.; Laor, A.; Leighly, K.; Lyutyi, V. M.; MacAlpine, G. M.; Malkov, Yu. F.; Martin, P. G.; McCollum, B.; Merkulova, N. I.; Metik, L.; Metlov, V. G.; Miller, H. R.; Morris, S. L.; Oknyanskij, V. L.; Penfold, J.; Perez, E.; Perola, G. C.; Pike, G.; Pogge, R. W.; Pronik, I.; Pronik, V. I.; Ptak, R. L.; Recondo-Gonzalez, M. C.; Rodriguez-Espinoza, J. M.; Rokaki, E. L.; Roland, J.; Sadun, A. C.; Salamanca, I.; Santos-Lleo, M.; Sergeev, S. G.; Smith, S. M.; Snijders, M. A. J.; Sparke, L. S.; Stirpe, G. M.; Stoner, R. E.; Sun, W.-H.; van Groningen, E.; Wagner, R. M.; Wagner, S.; Wanders, I.; Welsh, W. F.; Weymann, R. J.; Wilkes, B. J.; Zheng, W.
Bibliographical reference
Astrophysical Journal v.470, p.322
Advertised on:
10
1996
Citations
78
Refereed citations
68
Description
We present the results of an intensive ultraviolet monitoring campaign
on the Seyfert I galaxy NGC 4151, as part of an effort to study its
short-timescale variability over a broad range in wavelength. The
nucleus of NGC 4151 was observed continuously With the International
Ultraviolet Explorer for 9.3 days, yielding a pair of LWP and SWP
spectra every ~70 minutes, and during 4 hr periods for 4 days Prior to
and 5 days after the continuous-monitoring period. The sampling
frequency of the observations is an order of magnitude higher than that
of any previous UV monitoring campaign on a Seyfert galaxy. The
continuum fluxes in bands from 1275 to 2688 A went through four
significant and well-defined events of duration 2-3 days during the
continuous-monitoring period. We find that the amplitudes of the
continuum variations decrease with increasing wavelength, which extends
a general trend for this and other Seyfert galaxies to smaller
timescales (i.e., a few days). The continuum variations in all the UV
bands are simultaneous to within an accuracy of ~0.15 days, providing a
strict constraint on continuum models. The emission-line light curves
show only one major event during the continuous monitoring (a slow rise
followed by a shallow dip) and do not correlate well with continuum
light curves over the short duration of the campaign, because the
timescale for continuum variations is apparently smaller than the
response times of the emission lines.