[en] The results of a high resolution study of the narrow emission line profiles of 16 Seyfert galaxies are presented. It is shown that the line profile parameters published in earlier low resolution studies are sometimes strongly influenced by resolution effects. In spite of these important systematic errors, many of the results derived from low resolution data are confirmed in the high resolution data. The narrow line profiles of Seyfert galaxies have a stronger base relative to core than a Gaussian. Most of the emission lines present a blueward asymmetry in the lower portion of their profile. In some galaxies, the line widths and/or line asymmetries are correlated with the ionization potential and/or critical density of the lines. There is a weak correlation between the line asymmetry and the dust content of the narrow line region (NLR). The large scatter in this relation, the absence of a similar correlation in Seyfert 1 to 1.5 galaxies, and the presence of a blue asymmetry in galaxies with dustfree line-emitting regions suggest that dust obscuration is not the only mechanism responsible for the line asymmetry in active galaxies. An optically-thick disk close to the nucleus is proposed as the other source of line asymmetry. An important result is that the host galaxy is probably playing a role in the kinematics of some of the gas in the NLR. A multicomponent model of the NLR is proposed to explain these results

[en] A revised method of classification of narrow line active galaxies and H II region-like galaxies is proposed. It involves the line ratios (O III) lambda 5007/H beta, (N II) lambda 6583/H alpha, (S II) (lambda lambda 6716 = 6731)/H alpha, and (O I) lambda 6300/H alpha. These line ratios take full advantage of the physical distinction between the two types of objects and minimize the effects of reddening correction and errors in the flux calibration. Large sets of internally consistent data are used including new previously unpublished measurements. Prediction of recent photoionization models by power law spectra and by hot stars are compared with the observations. The classification is based on the observational data interpreted on the basis of these models

[en] Results for the forbidden Fe X 6375-A and forbidden Fe VII 6087-A emission lines of 18 high-ionization active galaxies are presented and compared with spectra obtained with the same instrument. Variations of 6375-A and 6087-A were tested for various line ratios under the assumption of constant forbidden OI and forbidden S II line fluxes. The best candidate for variations of forbidden Fe VII and forbidden Fe X lines is found to be NGC 5548, with seven other galaxies showing possible variations of one or both of these lines. A timescale of less than 3 yr is noted for the variations in NGC 5548. Potential sources of error taken into account in the interpretation of the results are considered. 61 references

[en] An individual analysis is presented of the narrow-line profiles of 16 Seyfert galaxies. Substructure is observed in all but one of the sample objects. A direct relationship between the radio structure and these emission-line components is proposed in about half of the objects. The emission-line components generally have flux ratios which are quite similar to the rest of the narrow-line gas. These results suggest that the radio-emitting plasma strongly affects the kinematics of the thermal gas of the narrow-line region (NLR), but not its ionization state. Evidence for ionization/density stratification of the gas in the NLR is found in 4(ionization)/5(density) of the 11 objects for which a multispecies analysis is possible. The stronger cases of stratification are found in the objects whose emission lines present a minimum of profile substructure. A multicomponent model of the NLR is proposed to explain the results of this paper and previous ones. 192 refs

[en] The results of a kinematic study of the narrow- and broad-line regions in Mrk 359 are presented. The emission-line profiles between 4600 and 7500 A are used to derive the physical characteristics of the line-emitting gas. Many aspects of the emission-line profiles of Mrk 359 make this object an exceptional Seyfert galaxy: extremely small widths of both the forbidden lines and the broad component of the permitted lines, absence of profile substructure, large blueward asymmetry of the high-ionization forbidden lines despite the apparent absence of reddening in the narrow-line region. Various scenarios are proposed to explain these results. 65 refs

[en] A revised method of classification of narrow-line active galaxies and H II region-like galaxies is proposed. It involves the line ratios which take full advantage of the physical distinction between the two types of objects and minimize the effects of reddening correction and errors in the flux calibration. Large sets of internally consistent data are used, including new, previously unpublished measurements. Predictions of recent photoionization models by power-law spectra and by hot stars are compared with the observations. The classification is based on the observational data interpreted on the basis of these models. 63 references

[en] The effects of the lateral flow and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities on clouds in the narrow-line region of active galaxies are considered using cloud densities and velocities based on observations. A simplified model for the lateral flow instability governed only by overpressures is discussed. The associated radiative acceleration is considered, and parameters describing the narrow-line region and the central nonstellar continuum are presented. It is shown that many otherwise acceptable narrow-line clouds are unstable to lateral flows, particularly if their column depths are small. It is argued that the most likely narrow-line clouds have column densities of about 10 to the 23rd/sq cm and that these clouds are accelerated by winds in the intercloud medium. Arguments are made against models in which narrow-line clouds move inward. 22 references

[en] Near-IR CCD moderate-resolution spectra in the 7000-11,000 wavelength range were obtained for NGC 1976 and NGC 4151 in three overlapping segments. The strongest three lines in both objects are forbidden S III 9531, He I 10830, and forbidden S III 9069. Also, lower resolution spectra of 14 additional Seyfert galaxies were obtained. In all but two of these spectra, the strongest line is forbidden S III 9531. The line strengths among these galaxies are compared to trace ionization behavior. 59 refs

[en] We report the results from a deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) NICMOS H-band imaging survey of 28 z < 0.3 QSOs from the Palomar-Green (PG) sample. This program is part of QUEST (Quasar/ULIRG Evolution Study) and complements a similar set of data on 26 highly nucleated ULIRGs presented in Paper I. Our analysis indicates that the fraction of QSOs with elliptical hosts is higher among QSOs with undetected far-infrared (FIR) emission, small infrared excess (L _IR/L _B < 10), and luminous hosts. The hosts of FIR-faint QSOs show a tendency to have less pronounced merger-induced morphological anomalies and larger QSO-to-host luminosity ratios on average than the hosts of FIR-bright QSOs, consistent with late-merger evolution from FIR-bright to FIR-faint QSOs. The spheroid sizes (∼ 0.3-5.5 kpc) and total host luminosities (∼ 0.6-7.2 L* _H) of the radio-quiet PG QSOs in our sample are statistically indistinguishable from the ULIRG hosts presented in Paper I, while those of radio-loud PG QSOs are systematically larger and more luminous. ULIRGs and PG QSOs with elliptical hosts fall near, but not exactly on, the fundamental plane of inactive spheroids. We confirm the systematic trend noted in Paper I for objects with small (∼< 2 kpc) spheroids to be up to ∼ 1 mag brighter than inactive spheroids. The host colors and wavelength dependence of their sizes support the idea that these deviations are at least in part due to non-nuclear star formation. However, the amplitudes of these deviations depend mainly on host sizes, and possibly on infrared excess, but not on merger phase, QSO-to-host luminosity ratio, optical spectral type, active galactic nucleus fractional contribution to the bolometric luminosity, or host R - H color. Taken at face value (i.e., no correction for extinction or the presence of a young stellar population), the H-band spheroid-host luminosities imply black hole masses ∼ (5-200) x 10⁷ M _sun and sub-Eddington mass accretion rates for both QSOs and ULIRGs. These results are compared with published black hole mass estimates derived from other methods.

[en] This paper describes the Maryland-Magellan Tunable Filter (MMTF) on the Magellan-Baade 6.5 m telescope. MMTF is based on a 150 mm clear aperture Fabry-Perot (FP) etalon that operates in low orders and provides transmission bandpass and central wavelength adjustable from ∼5 A to ∼15 A and from ∼5000 A to over ∼9200 A, respectively. It is installed in the Inamori Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph and delivers an image quality of ∼0.''5 over a field of view of 27' in diameter (monochromatic over ∼10'). This versatile and easy-to-operate instrument has been used over the past three years for a wide variety of projects. This paper first reviews the basic principles of FP tunable filters, and then provides a detailed description of the hardware and software associated with MMTF and the techniques developed to observe with this instrument and reduce the data. The main lessons learned in the course of the commissioning and implementation of MMTF are highlighted next, before concluding with a brief outlook on the future of MMTF and of similar facilities which are soon coming on line.