An analysis of the narrow-line profiles in high ionization Seyfert galaxies

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Abstract

A Fourier deconvolution technique was used to analyze the narrow optical emission-line profiles for 12 high-ionization Seyfert galaxies corresponding to a wide range of ionization potential. A good correlation is found between line width and critical density. For a given object, the ratio of line widths at various fractions of full intensity were similar over the entire range of ionization potential and critical density. Almost identical velocity ratios were found for the forbidden line of FE VII (6087 A) taken from every object, suggesting a similar acceleration mechanism (and/or geometry) for all objects in both the narrow-line and broad-line regions. High-ionization line widths correlated poorly with the absolute blue magnitude of the galaxy, while the lower ionization lines showed good correlation. On average, half of the galaxies have narrow line profiles which are skewed to the blue, and half of those are symmetric. High ionization lines had predominantly blue excesses. Some possible implications of the correlations are discussed, and detailed descriptions of the individual spectra are presented.

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