The best indicators of the reddening in the narrow-line regions of AGN are ratios of pairs of forbidden lines arising from a common upper level. The ratios of [SII] λ4072/λ10320 and [OII] λ7325/λ2470 are good examples, but they include lines in the far ultraviolet and infrared regions which are difficult to observe.

We have used the TAURUS technique to study the morphology and velocity field of spatially extended emission–line gas in a number of active galaxies. This paper describes our results for NGC 1275 and NGC 4151. The emission line maps of NGC 1275 are the first scientific data from the new 4.2-m William Herschel Telescope, and show that the morphology of the foreground galaxy falling into the Perseus cluster bears a close relationship to that of NGC 1275 itself, implying that the two galaxies are physically associated.

In the case of NGC 4151, we find the emission line region is elongated along the same axis as the nuclear radio source. This cannot be due to emission-line gas being accelerated by radio ejecta, since the emission-line gas rotates with the galactic disk. We suggest that the emission-line gas is being ionized by a highly anisotropic nuclear continuum source, UV photons escaping from the nucleus preferentially along the radio axis.

The new imaging Fabry-Perot interferometer at the University of Hawaii is especially suited for studying extended emission regions in the vicinity of active nuclei. Dramatic results have been obtained for the objects observed so far: M51, M82, NGC 1068, NGC 4151, and NGC 4258.

While NGC 1068 has received much attention in recent years, little is known of the large-scale dynamics and physical state of the ionized gas in this nearby Seyfert galaxy and, in particular, its connection with the nuclear activity. We have used the Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer (HIFI) at the CFHT to obtain detailed spectrophotometry at 65 kms−1 resolution (FWHM) over the Hα and neighbouring [N II] lines. The final maps are derived from 100 000 fits to spectra taken at 0.4″ increments over a 200″ field-of-view. (A higher resolution study which concentrates on the circumnuclear, optical emission and its relation to the radio jet is presented at this conference by Cecil & Bland.)

The NLR of the Sy 2 galaxy NGC 1068 has been studied with the Hawaii Imaging Fabry-Perot Interferometer on the U. Hawaii 2.2m telescope. Kinematics of [N II] λλ6548,6583 and Ha were mapped across the inner 1′-diameter by obtaining monochromatic images (65 km s−1 FWHM) with a low-noise (5e− RMS) CCD at sub-arcsecond spatial and ∼90 km s−1 effective velocity resolution. Our complete coverage of this nearby (14 Mpc; 1″ = 75 pc), spatially extended NLR allows unprecedented study of the interaction of a collimated radio “jet” (Wilson & Ulvestad 1983) with the warm ionized component of the ambient interstellar medium.

We have obtained high signal-to-noise ratio CCD spectra at ≤ 150 km/s resolution for 6 high-ionization Seyfert galaxies. We analyzed the profiles of the emission-lines over a wide range in both ionization potential (IP) and critical density (Ncr) in order to study the fundamental problem of cloud motion in the narrow-line region (NLR). Using the known correlations between FWHM and IP and/or Ncr for these galaxies, and assuming that the blueward profile asymmetries result from the combined effects of radially infalling or outflowing clouds and extinction within or between them, we deconvolve these effects by analyzing the correlation between emission-line asymmetries and both IP and Ncr. We find fair to good correlations in the sense that lines with high IP and Ncr also tend to have high asymmetry, while lines with low IP and Ncr have low but usually non-zero asymmetry. Simulated emission-line profiles generated with a spherically-symmetric model of a NLR suggest that the extinction arises primarily within radially infalling clouds.

There now exists extensive data on the forbidden line widths in Seyfert galaxies. While a few Seyferts have anomalously broad lines with FWHM ∼ 500 - 1000 km s−1 (e.g. NGC 1068, MKN 3, MKN 78), the majority have narrower lines with FWHM ∼ 200 - 400 km s−1. Although these line widths are well known to be of Doppler origin, the physical processes responsible for accelerating the gas have yet to be clearly identified. Processes associated with the activity itself are suggested by the large linewidths of the broadest profiles as well as by the presence of a correlation between [OIII] FWHM and steep spectrum radio luminosity. On the other hand, the prevelence of narrower lines and total absence of correlation between [OIII] FWHM and overall level of activity (Seyfert 2s, Seyfert 1s, and QSOs) suggests that more normal, possibly gravitational, processes are important. To test this latter possibility, it is necessary to look for explicit correlations between [OIII] FWHM and diagnostics of galactic gravitational potential.

Line profiles from the spatially resolved narrow-line region of NGC 4151 are separated into several bulk-motion components which show velocity dispersions two to three times larger than starburst nuclei with similar luminosity. The components are suggested to arise within the galactic disk and by filaments entrained in or situated along the shells of two super-bubbles. The large cone-like SW bubble is able to account for the SW soft-X ray excess and the hole in the NLR disk through which a UV-radiation cone emerges. The bubbles appear to be related to the nuclear radio source.

We present new data on the redshifts and Hα profiles of 18 medium to high redshift QSOs observed by us using the FIGS spectrometer at the Anglo-Australian Telescope facility and compare the data to that of the strong UV lines obtained in spectra taken at nearly the same time. We find that the Hα line is redshifted by an average of 1100 km s−1 with respect to CIVλ1549. Low ionization lines, such as OIλ1305 and MgIIλ2798 are shifted by similar amounts. These results are difficult to reconcile with any simple models currently available, including those where dust obscuration is solely responsible for the observed velocity shifts. The similarity between the velocities of Hα and MgII, OI provides some support for models where the Balmer lines are produced predominantly in a warm HI region, perhaps by X-ray heating, while the Lyman lines arise mainly in a population of optically thin clouds. A velocity separation between the two cloud populations, along with some obscuration, could explain the main features. However, detailed differences between lines of similar ionization suggest that the true situation is more complex.

A search for correlations between the velocity shift and other quantities revealed only one, namely with the ratio of the CIII]λ1909 and CIVλ1549 line fluxes. The meaning of this is obscure, but may relate to density or projection effects. A number of other correlations proposed by previous workers as tests for their models were sought but not found.

Sixty spectra taken at 24 position angles of every 15° were measured for NGC 1068. The result reveals that a noncircular motion of about 50 km/s occurs within a spiral disk of 30″–40″ in radius.

We present data for Seyfert and normal galaxies in the Revised Shapley-Ames Catalog. The type 2 Seyferts are stronger CO and Far-IR emitters (by factors of 2–4) than either normal galaxies or type 1 Seyferts. The Seyfert CO line-widths correlate with both the 21cm HI and [OIII]5007 line-widths. Interferometer maps show that in many Seyferts the CO emission is strongly concentrated within radii of 100–1000pc of the nucleus. The implications of these results are briefly discussed.

Infrared spectra around [FeII](1.644μm), H2 (v = 1-0 S(1) at 2.121μm) and Brγ (H 7-4 at 2.167μm) have been obtained of 35 emission line nuclei whose optical spectra range from pure HII regionlike to Seyfert 1. All three emission lines have been detected in a large fraction of those nuclei exhibiting starburst activity but not in “pure” Seyferts. The highest detection frequency, however, was found for composite nuclei showing evidence for both starburst and Seyfert activity. Several arguments suggest that both the [FeII] and H2 are shock excited and could be largely attributed to supernova remnants. The fact that the [FeII]/Brγ and H2/Brγ ratios tend to be somewhat larger in composite than in pure starburst nuclei, however, plus significant spatial displacements between the [FeII] and H2 emitting regions found recently during follow-up observations of selected galaxies suggest that large scale phenomena, e.g. SN winds or mass outflows from AGN, may also be important.

We report published data on dust emission from Markarian galaxies and discuss them together with recent spectroscopic work.

We are currently studying a selection of active galaxies using the new IR array camera IRCAM on UKIRT. Our aim is to seperate the underlying stellar emission from that of the active galactic nucleus. Although the optical is the best wavelength region to discriminate between the different populations in the underlying spiral and elliptical galaxies, it is in the infrared that the contrast between the non-thermal central core and the surrounding galaxy is increased. We present reduced data from infrared images taken at 1.25, 1.65 and 2.2 μm with an image scale of 0.6 arcsec/pixel together with optical 0.44 and 0.55 μm CCD images of the Seyfert galaxy NGC1275.

High resolution radio observations of Seyferts, starbursts, and ELFs are presented which suggest that (i) starburst galaxies do not generally possess a Seyfert-like core, (ii) some ELFs do have a Seyfert core, but only those with a Seyfert-like spectrum, (iii) other ELFs are more likely to be powered by starburst activity. Double compact sources are present in several ELFs, suggesting that we might be seeing the nuclei of two merging galaxies, and that the ELFs are conceived by the coupling of two monsters.

Five Seyfert 1 galaxies of high absolute luminosity (ranging from 28 to 65 times that of NGC4151 at 3.5 μm) have been monitored since 1984 (or earlier) at JHK & L (1.25, 1.65, 2.2 & 3.5 μm). The results are shown in the accompanying figures. Where the variations were of sufficient amplitude, changes in L are seen to have been delayed ∼ 500 days compared to those at shorter wavelengths. In all cases, even in 3A 0557-383 where the amplitude of variation is small, each galaxy traces out loops with time if magnitudes at two different wavelengths are plotted against each other. The loops are always described in the same sense (clockwise as plotted here), such that variations at the longer wavelengths are seen to be retarded compared to those at the shorter. Plots of this kind appear to be a sensitive way to detect delays even when the data are too sparse to support a credible cross-correlation.

We have observed a period of rapid and intense optical-infrared brightness and polarization variability in the quasar 3C 279. The observations were obtained as part of an ongoing study of the optical-infrared continuum evolution in a sample of optically violent variable (OVV) quasars and BL Lacertae objects. Simultaneous broadband UBVRI photometric and polarimetric observations are used to study the optical continuum spectral evolution and wavelength dependent linear polarization and to search for broad near-ultraviolet continuum spectral components.

Since 1978, the Seyfert I galaxy F9 (z = 0.0461) has been observed at 54 epochs in the far ultraviolet and optical range with the IUE (Boggess et al 1978), and 27 times in the near IR from SAAO. The IUE provided spectrophotometric low resolution (900 km.s−1) datá over the 1200–3200 Å range as well as simultaneous broad band optical photometry at an effective wavelength of 5200 Å. SAAO data consist of photometric measurements in the J, H, K and L bands. From the IUE data, we obtained the light-curves of the continuum at 1328 Å and 1826 Å (rest wavelengths), as well as those of the Lyα1216, CIV1550 and MgII2800 emission lines. More details can be found in Clavel, Wamsteker and Glass (1989).

Between 1013 - 1017 Hz the continua of all PG quasars can be described in the most general terms by a model consisting of two broad peaks of thermal radiation. There is no evidence for energetically significant nonthermal radiation in this frequency range in the continua of the PG quasars. We have compiled continuum observations for PG quasars from 6 cm to 2 KeV, including IRAS data for all these objects and new ground-based infrared data at 10 μm for many of these quasars. Sixty-three of the PG quasars were detected by IRAS in at least one band. The overall energy distributions for these sixty-three PG quasars are shown in Figure 1.

I am one of a large team studying an X-ray flux limited sample of 35 AGN, at radio (Unger et al 1987 MNRAS 228 521), IR (Ward et al 1987 ApJ 315 74 and Carleton et al 1987 ApJ 318 595), optical-UV (Boisson et al in preparation), and X-ray (Turner PhD thesis, Leicester) wavelengths. A gap in the data which we have just started to fill is the millimetre region. (Lawrence, Ward, Elvis, Robson, Smith, Duncan, and Rowan-Robinson). In Jan/Feb 1988 we made measurements of twelve objects at 800 and 1100 micron, using the ROE/QMC bolometer, UKT14, on the new UK/Dutch/Canadian facility on Mauna Kea, the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, reaching 1 sigma sensitivity of ∼15–20 mJy, an order of magnitude improvement over previous data. The four radio loud objects measured were easily detected, as expected. These all have a strong blazar component, showing smooth but curved spectra over many decades, possibly log-Gaussian in form (Landau et al 1986 ApJ 308 78), or alternatively explicable by a small number of power-law components (Robson et al 1988 MNRAS in press). In any case, other evidence points to non-thermal radiation by a relativistically moving feature (high polarization, strong variability, superluminal motion). Eight radio quiet objects were measured, and upper limits only found, except for a possible four sigma detection of N2992. In all cases, the mm limits are far below the 100 micron IRAS fluxes. In four of the nearest objects, this is not too surprising, as fluxes are rising steeply throughout 12 to 100 micron, a sign that the IRAS data is dominated by cool interstellar dust emission (“cirrus”) from the discs of the parent galaxies. However we can also say that any postulated power law component of spectral index ∼1 dominating the near-IR, must become self-absorbed around ∼200 micron if the mm limits are not to be exceeded. Four rather more interesting objects are shown in Fig. 1. Again, any underlying power-law component must be self-absorbed by ∼100 micron, but is not clear that such a power-law is needed. N5506 and IC4329A have falling optical energy distributions, and large H α/Hβ ratios; on the other hand, the IR continuum lies well above the X-ray level, so there is good argument for absorption and re-radiation by dust. N4151, while flat through the near-IR-optical, has a large hump centred at ∼25 micron. Particularly important here are further new measurements by Engargiola et al (1987, ApJ in press),and Edelson et al (1988, preprint) which show the energy distribution to be falling so steeply from 155 to 438 micron that self-absorbed synchrotron is ruled out in this region. In fact, the whole energy distribution from mm to UV can be modelled without a power law at all, as shown in Fig 2. This uses a starburst component (from Rowan-Robinson and Crawford 1988, MNRAS in press), hot dust represented by three greybodies at 200K, 500K, and 1000K, starlight from a nuclear cusp, and a blackbody at 30,000K. Even MKN590, which at first sight looks like a power-law, can be modelled by similar components (Fig. 3).