ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI IN THE ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRUM

Abstract

Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) produce rich, luminescent spectra across the electro- magnetic spectrum. This work focuses on topics in the ultraviolet region, where lie the broad absorption line outflows innate to Broad Absorption Line Quasi-Stellar Objects (BALQSOs) and the Fe II bump, characteristic of strong Fe emitters. We find the incidence of P V absorption in AGN to be ∼ 10% and only observe P V absorption in Broad Absorption Lines (BALs), never in narrow lines. Our troughs exhibit envelope behavior in vmax versus Luminosity, as previously observed, with P V detected troughs forming the upper edge of the envelope. The spectral and photometric variabilities in the low luminosity, narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy WPVS007 are consistent with the BAL wind ablating off the edge of a variable scale height torus. WPVS 007 underwent the first ultraviolet occultation yet observed for an AGN. The differences in ultraviolet spectral shape of the Fe emission shape observed in strong Fe emitting AGN is attributable to higher excitation Fe II and excess Fe III in PHL1811-like objects, but photoionization is not sufficient to fit the observed emission.