Program: GS-2012A-Q-86

Broad double-peaked emission lines (10,000km/s) from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are thought to originate in the outer parts of the accretion disk surrounding the nuclear supermassive black hole (SMBH). Recent observations have shown that these profiles can vary on timescales ranging from days to years. Spectral monitoring of these sources allows the constraining of the disk kinematics and physical mechanisms causing the variations. Recently, we have used the Poor Weather opportunity to monitor the active nucleus of NGC 1097 for one year and found unexpected short timescale variability of its Halpha double-peaked profile: the integrated flux and velocity separation of the blue and red peaks varied on a timescale of approximatelly 7 days. This timescale is consistent with the expected light travel time between the central ionizing source and the line emitting part of the accretion disk, providing an independent constraint on the radius of the accretion disk and consequently on the mass of the SMBH. The goal of our proposal is to continue to use the Poor Weather opportunity to look for similar short timescale variability in other AGNs with broad double-peaked emission lines: Pictor A and NGC 7213.