AGN STORM 2. II. Ultraviolet Observations of Mrk 817 with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope

We present reverberation mapping measurements for the prominent ultraviolet broad emission lines of the active galactic nucleus Mrk 817 using 165 spectra obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. Our ultraviolet observations are accompanied by X-ray, optical, and near-infrared observations as part of the AGN Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Program 2 (AGN STORM 2). Using the cross-correlation lag analysis method, we find significant correlated variations in the continuum and emission-line light curves. We measure rest-frame delayed responses between the far-ultraviolet continuum at 1180 angstrom and Ly alpha lambda 1215 angstrom (10.4(-1.4)(+1.6) days), N V lambda 1240 angstrom (15.5(-4.8)(+1.0) days), Si IV + ]O IV lambda 1397 angstrom (8.2(-1.4)(+1.4) days), C IV lambda 1549 angstrom (11.8(-2.8)(+3.0) days), and He II lambda 1640 angstrom (9.0(-1.9)(+4.5) days) using segments of the emission-line profile that are unaffected by 4.5 absorption and blending, which results in sampling different velocity ranges for each line. However, we find that the emission-line responses to continuum variations are more complex than a simple smoothed, shifted, and scaled version of the continuum light curve. We also measure velocity-resolved lags for the Ly alpha and C IV emission lines. The lag profile in the blue wing of Ly alpha is consistent with virial motion, with longer lags dominating at lower velocities, and shorter lags at higher velocities. The C IV lag profile shows the signature of a thick rotating disk, with the shortest lags in the wings, local peaks at +/- 1500 km s(-1), and a local minimum at the line center. The other emission lines are dominated by broad absorption lines and blending with adjacent emission lines. These require detailed models, and will be presented in future work.

Automated summary

Reverberation mapping measurements were conducted on the ultraviolet broad emission lines of Mrk 817, an active galactic nucleus, using the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. Correlated variations between the continuum and emission-line light curves were found, and delayed responses to continuum variations were measured for various emission lines. Velocity-resolved lags were also measured for the Ly alpha and C IV emission lines.