Reddenings estimated from optical continuum variability for reverberation-mapped active galactic nuclei
Abstract
We have used the Choloniewski flux variability gradient method to estimated reddenings for reverberation-mapped AGNs for which the host galaxy starlight contamination has been determined from Hubble Space Telescope surface photometry. We find that the median reddening due to dust associated with the AGN is about ten times greater than the reddening due to dust in the solar neighborhood. This corresponds to about a factor of two underestimate of the optical luminosity and a factor of ten underestimate of the far-UV luminosity. Some AGNs can have internal reddening substantially greater than this. Internal reddening is an important factor that needs to be taken into account when estimating black hole masses.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #225
- Pub Date:
- January 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015AAS...22514406T