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American Astronomical Society, Astrophysical Journal, (470), p. 322, 1996

DOI: 10.1086/177869

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Multiwavelength Observations of Short-Timescale Variability in NGC 4151. I. Ultraviolet Observations

Journal article published in 1996 by R. A. Eoelson, Dm M. Crenshaw, Sv V. Penton, D. Alloin, Pm M. Rodriguez Pascual, Tr R. Ayres, K. T. Korista, G. A. Kriss, J. M. Shull, J. H. Krolik, M.-H. Ulrich, J. Clavel, M. A. Malkan, W. Wamsteker, R. S. Warwick and other authors.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

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 textasciitilde70 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 textasciitilde0.15 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.