Аннотация:Context.
We present observations from the short-term intensive optical campaign (from September 2019 to January 2020) of the
changing-look Seyfert NGC 3516. This active galactic nucleus is known to have strong optical variability and has changed its type in
the past. It has been in the low-activity state in the optical since 2013, with some rebrightening from the end of 2015 to the beginning
of 2016, after which it remained dormant.
Aims.
We aim to study the photometric and spectral variability of NGC 3516 from the new observations in
U- and B-bands, and examine the profiles of the optical broad emission lines, in order to demonstrate that this object may be going into a new state of
activity.
Methods.
NGC 3516 has been monitored intensively for the past 4 months with an automated telescope in
U and B filters, enabling accurate photometry of 0.01 precision. When an increase in brightness was spotted, the spectral observations were triggered. We
support our analysis of past-episodes of violent variability with the UV and X-ray long-term light curves constructed from the archival
Swift UVOT and Swift XRT data.
Results.
The increase of the photometric magnitude is seen in both U and B
filters bands to a maximum amplitude of 0.25 mag and
0.11 mag, respectively. During the flare, we observe stronger forbidden high-ionization iron line FeVII and FeX than reported before, as well as the complex broad Hα
and Hβ lines. This is especially seen in Hα that appears to be double-peaked. It seems that a
very broad component of ∼10,000 km s−1 width in the Balmer lines is appearing. The trends in the optical, UV, and X-ray light curves are similar, with the amplitudes of variability significantly larger in the case of UV and X-ray bands.
Conclusions.
The increase of the continuum emission, the variability of the coronal lines, and the very broad component in the Balmer lines may indicate that AGN of NGC 3516 is finally leaving the low-activity state in which it has been in the last ∼ years