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Title: AGN STORM 2. I. First results: A Change in the Weather of Mrk 817
Abstract We present the first results from the ongoing, intensive, multiwavelength monitoring program of the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817. While this active galactic nucleus was, in part, selected for its historically unobscured nature, we discovered that the X-ray spectrum is highly absorbed, and there are new blueshifted, broad, and narrow UV absorption lines, which suggest that a dust-free, ionized obscurer located at the inner broad-line region partially covers the central source. Despite the obscuration, we measure UV and optical continuum reverberation lags consistent with a centrally illuminated Shakura–Sunyaev thin accretion disk, and measure reverberation lags associated with the optical broad-line region, as expected. However, in the first 55 days of the campaign, when the obscuration was becoming most extreme, we observe a de-coupling of the UV continuum and the UV broad emission-line variability. The correlation recovered in the next 42 days of the campaign, as Mrk 817 entered a less obscured state. The short C iv and Ly α lags suggest that the accretion disk extends beyond the UV broad-line region.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1907290 1909199 1907208 2009230 1814440
NSF-PAR ID:
10324267
Author(s) / Creator(s):
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Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
922
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Page Range / eLocation ID:
151
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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