A Reverberation-based Mass for the Central Black Hole in NGC 4151

Authors

Misty C. Bentz, Ohio State University
Kelly D. Denney, Ohio State University
Edward M. Cackett, University of St. AndrewsFollow
Matthias Dietrich, Ohio State University
Jeffery K. Fogel, University of Michigan
Himel Ghosh, Ohio State University
Keith Horne, University of St. Andrews
Charles Kuehn, Ohio State University
Takeo Minezaki, School of Science, University of Tokyo
Christopher A. Onken, Ohio State University
Bradley M. Peterson, Ohio State University
Richard W. Pogge, Ohio State University
Vladimir I. Pronik, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
Douglas O. Richstone, University of Michigan
Sergey G. Sergeev, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
Marianne Vestergaard, Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
Matthew G. Walker, University of Michigan
Yuzuru Yoshii, School of Science, Tokyo

Document Type

Article

Abstract

We have undertaken a new ground-based monitoring campaign to improve the estimates of the mass of the central black hole in NGC 4151. We measure the lag time of the broad Hβ line response compared to the optical continuum at 5100 Å and find a lag of 6.6^+1.1_-0.8 days. We combine our data with the recent reanalysis of UV emission lines by Metzroth and coworkers to calculate a weighted mean of the black hole mass, M_BH=(4.57^+0.57_-0.47)×10⁷ M_solar. The absolute calibration of the black hole mass is based on normalization of the AGN black hole mass-stellar velocity dispersion (MBH-σ_*) relationship to that of quiescent galaxies by Onken and coworkers. The scatter in the MBH-σ_* relationship suggests that reverberation-mapping-based mass measurements are typically uncertain by a factor of 3-4.

Disciplines

External Galaxies

Comments

NOTICE IN COMPLIANCE WITH PUBLISHER POLICY: ©2006, American Astronomical Society. Available at: doi:10.1086/507417

Recommended Citation

A Reverberation-based Mass for the Central Black Hole in NGC 4151

Misty C. Bentz et al. 2006 ApJ 651 775