Mrk 926 spectra

The continuum luminosity of Mrk926 showed a drastic decrease during our campaign. The luminosity dropped to less than 50% of its original luminosity within 2.5 months only. Furthermore, the spectra of Mrk926 show complex and very broad Balmer line profiles including outer Balmer satellites ranging from +/-5000 to +/-13000km/s.

The integrated H{alpha}, H{beta} and HeI_5876_ line light curves are delayed relative to the continuum light curve. The Ha and Hb lines show two velocity-delay structures in the central part of their line profile (within +/-5000km/s) at ~10 and ~57 light-days, and at ~5 and ~48 light-days, respectively. These structures might be interpreted as the upper and lower half of an ellipse in the velocity-delay plane, that might be the signature of a line-emitting ring, inclined by ~50{deg} to the line of sight, orbiting the black hole at radii R of 33.5 and 26.5 light-days.

We determined continuum luminosities log({lambda}*L_({lambda})_/erg/s) of 43.68 to 44.13 which are in good agreement with the established R_(BLR)-L_(AGN) relation. Adopting delays of 33.5 and 26.5 days for Ha and Hb, respectively, we derive a black hole mass of 1.1+/-0.2*10^8^M_{sun}_ which indicates a low Eddington ratio decreasing from 8 to 3 percent during our campaign. The Balmer satellite components show a higher correlation coefficient with respect to the continuum than the central line profile, and their response to the continuum variations is of the order of only 3-5 days.

We attribute this to the central line segment and the Balmer satellites having different, spatially distinct regions of origin.