I. Wanders et al., THE GEOMETRY AND KINEMATICS OF THE BROAD-LINE REGION IN NGC-5548 FROMHST AND IUE OBSERVATIONS, The Astrophysical journal, 453(2), 1995, pp. 87
The spatial and radial velocity distribution of broad-line-emitting ga
s in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 is examined through the process of
reverberation mapping, which is done by detailed comparison of continu
um and emission-line variations. Recent spectroscopic monitoring of NG
C 5548 with HST and IUE allows us to resolve the ''transfer function''
(TF) that relates the continuum and emission-line variability. We als
o examine the radial velocity-resolved TFs, and confirm that predomina
ntly radial motions of the line-emitting clouds can be excluded. We fi
nd that a broad-line region comprised of clouds that are orbiting a ce
ntral source of mass similar to 10(8) M(circle dot) along randomly inc
lined Keplerian orbits and irradiated by a beamed continuum source yie
lds a TF and line profile that are qualitatively consistent with the o
bservations. In this model, the clouds that produce the variable C (IV
) emission lie within 12 lt-days of the central source, and the contin
uum radiation is confined to a wide biconical beam (semi-opening angle
35 degrees-60 degrees) with the observer viewing into the cone.