# Physical Conditions in the Emission-Line Gas in the Extremely Low-Luminosity Seyfert Nucleus of NGC 4395 Based in part on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. STScI is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. under the NASA contract NAS5-26555. Based in part on observations made with the Infrared Space Observatory, an ESA project with instruments funded by ESA Member States with the participation of ISAS and NASA.

## 1 Introduction

NGC 4395 is a nearby (d $``$ 2.6 Mpc; Rowan-Robinson 1985), late-type (Sd IV) dwarf galaxy which, in general characteristics, bears a resemblance to the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Both show a weak bar-like structure, bright H II regions, and possess subsolar abundances of heavy elements (for LMC, see Russell & Dopita 1992; for NGC 4395, see Roy et al. 1996). However, there is a bright point source very near the center of symmetry of NGC 4395. Optical and UV spectra of this source reveal a featureless continuum and strong emission lines from a wide range of ionization states and critical densities.

Although the bolometric luminosity of the central knot ($``$ 1.5 x 10<sup>40</sup> ergs s<sup>-1</sup>) could be produced by massive stars, there is ample evidence that NGC 4395 harbors a dwarf Seyfert 1 nucleus. This is discussed in detail in two previous papers (Filippenko & Sargent 1989, hereafter FS89; Filippenko, Ho, & Sargent 1993, hereafter FHS93), and here we will only summarize the evidence. First, the optical spectrum shows coronal lines, such as \[Ne V\] $`\lambda \lambda `$3346, 3426 and \[Fe VII\] $`\lambda `$6087, which indicate the presence of a significant flux of photons with energies above 97 eV. Although it is possible that such energetic radiation can be produced by stars (Terlevich & Melnick 1985), it is a straightforward consequence of the power-law continua associated with the active galactic nucleus (AGN) phenomenon. In fact, the optical to UV continuum radiation emitted by the central source is best characterized as a featureless power law and the optical continuum flux has been observed to vary by as much as 20% on timescales $``$ 1 day (Lira, Lawrence, & Johnson 1999; but see Shields & Filippenko 1992). The active nucleus appears as an unresolved point source in the radio with a nonthermal spectrum (Sramek 1992), and has been detected in the soft X-ray band (0.1 - 2.4 keV) with the ROSAT/PSPC (Moran et al. 1999). All this suggests that there is a compact energy source, analogous to Seyfert1 nuclei. Finally, the permitted lines have broad wings (FWHM $`>`$ 1000 km s<sup>-1</sup>), which are absent from any of the forbidden lines, indicating dense (n<sub>H</sub> $`>`$ 10<sup>9</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>), fast moving gas, which is best explained by material close to the central mass/ionization source, and is one of the defining characteristics of a Seyfert 1 nucleus.

It is fascinating that the nucleus of NGC 4395 appears to possess all of the basic properties of type 1 Seyfert galaxies and QSOs; the fundamental physics of the AGN phenomenon thus applies over at least eight orders of magnitude in luminosity! This object permits us to extend studies of luminosity dependent effects (e.g., the Baldwin effect) to the lowest extreme. Furthermore, NGC 4395 is a very late-type galaxy, lacking a central bulge, unlike virtually every other known Seyfert galaxy. Finally, NGC 4395 is close to us, which allows us to examine the host galaxy with hitherto unprecedented spatial resolution.

In this paper we examine in detail the physical conditions of the Seyfert nucleus of NGC 4395. In addition to the Hubble Space Telescope/Faint Object Spectrograph (HST/FOS) spectra presented in FHS93, we include new ground-based optical spectra and IR emission-line spectra taken with the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). The combination of UV, optical, and IR data provides the widest range of emission-line diagnostics, as well as an opportunity to deredden the lines based on the He II recombination ratios. We will use multi-component photoionization models to match the dereddened emission-line ratios and probe the physical conditions in both the broad-line region (BLR) and narrow-line region (NLR) in this AGN.

## 2 Observations and Data Analysis

### 2.1 UV and Optical Spectra

We obtained UV spectra of NGC 4395 with HST/FOS using the G130H, G190H, and G270H gratings. The UV spectra cover the wavelength range 1150 – 3300 Å at a spectral resolution of $`\lambda `$/$`\mathrm{\Delta }\lambda `$ $``$ 1000 (FWHM $`=`$ 1.2 – 3.3 Å , over the FOS waveband), and are described in more detail in FHS93. We obtained high-dispersion optical spectra during the course of an extensive spectroscopic survey of nearby galaxies conducted with the CCD Double Spectrograph (Oke & Gunn 1982) on the Hale 5 m telescope at Palomar Observatory (see Filippenko & Sargent 1985, and Ho, Filippenko, & Sargent 1995, for details of the survey). The 1<sup>′′</sup> wide slit yielded spectral resolutions of FWHM $``$ 2.3 Å and 1.6 Å in the blue (4200–5100 Å) and red (6200–6800 Å) spectra, respectively. We also obtained spectra of moderate dispersion on several occasions at Lick Observatory using the Kast spectrograph (Miller & Stone 1993) mounted on the Shane 3 m reflector. These observations used a 2<sup>′′</sup> slit, and the wavelength coverage extended from near the atmospheric cutoff (3200 Å) to almost 1 $`\mu `$m with a typical FWHM resolution of 5–8 Å. In all cases, we oriented the slit along the parallactic angle to minimize light losses due to atmospheric dispersion, and we observed featureless spectrophotometric standard stars to calibrate the relative fluxes of the spectra. One-dimensional spectra were extracted using a 4<sup>′′</sup> window centered on the nucleus, with the sky background determined from regions along the slit far from the nucleus. The reduction and calibration of the data followed conventional procedures for long-slit spectroscopy, such as those described in Ho et al. (1995).

The absolute fluxes of the UV spectra are uncertain, as evidenced by $``$30% discrepancies in the continuum fluxes of individual FOS spectra in the regions of overlap (possibly due to aperture miscentering). We scaled the UV spectra to match each other and to match the optical spectra obtained on spectrophotometric nights. Based on a comparison of these optical spectra, we expect that the uncertainty in the absolute flux calibration is $``$20%, in addition to the measurement errors that we quote later.

Figure 1 shows the UV spectrum and a representative optical spectrum, and demonstrates the large number of emission lines available for photoionization modeling. The broad and narrow components of the permitted emission lines can most easily be seen in the C IV $`\lambda `$1550 line, as shown in Figure 2. The width of the broad C IV $`\lambda `$1550 is $``$ 5000 km s<sup>-1</sup>, while broad H$`\beta `$ has a FWHM $``$ 1500 km s<sup>-1</sup> (also see Figure 2), which is evidence for stratification in the BLR. However, as we will show in Section 3, the BLR gas is well represented by a single set of physical parameters. Although the forbidden lines are quite narrow (\[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007 has a FWHM $``$ 50 km s<sup>-1</sup>, FS89), high-resolution (FWHM $`=`$ 8 km s<sup>-1</sup>) optical spectra obtained with the Keck 10-m telescope (Filippenko & Ho 1999) show differences in the profiles of the low-ionization narrow lines, such as \[O I\] $`\lambda `$6300 and \[S II\] $`\lambda `$6731, compared to higher ionization lines, such as \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007 and \[S III\] $`\lambda `$6312. This is evidence that the NLR of NGC 4395 is stratified as well. Unlike the BLR, the NLR cannot be represented by a single set of physical parameters, as we will discuss in Section 3.

### 2.2 Mid-Infrared Spectra from ISO

We acquired the IR spectra with the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) using the AOT 2 mode to cover selected wavelength intervals for measurement of specific lines, at an average spectral resolution of $`\lambda `$/$`\mathrm{\Delta }\lambda `$ $``$ 1400. Spectral regions centered at the redshifted ($`z=`$ 0.00101, Haynes et al. 1998) wavelengths of \[S IV\] 10.51 $`\mu `$m and \[S III\] 33.48 $`\mu `$m were observed simultaneously with a total integration time of 10,400 s, while regions appropriate for \[Si IX\] 3.94 $`\mu `$m and \[O IV\] 25.89 $`\mu `$m were observed simultaneously with a total integration time of 18,600 s. While observing the source, the grating was stepped between readouts to produce a scan across the detectors of 200 s duration, followed by measurement (with multiple readouts) of the dark current.

We reduced the spectra using the Interactive Analysis and ISO Spectral Analysis version 1.3a software packages. Standard Processed Data generated by the calibration pipeline (version 5.2) were employed. Dark current measurements were interactively trimmed of large noise excursions using a 3$`\sigma `$ clipping routine, and dark current estimates for each scan were generated from a mean of dark measurements immediately bracketing the scan in time. Individual scans with discontinuous jumps in dark current levels were interactively removed on a detector-by-detector basis, and the measured dark current levels were subtracted from the remaining data. Standard corrections were applied for detector response and flux calibration, as well as wavelength correction to the heliocentric frame. For each detector, fluxes were averaged across the entire set of observations for a given line; individual scans were then shifted by a constant additive offset to bring their flux level into agreement with this value, as a correction for residual errors in the dark current removal. An overall spectrum was then generated for each detector by taking a median of individual scan spectra with 3$`\sigma `$ clipping. After shifting again to a common mean flux level, the spectra for individual detectors were then used to construct a weighted average representing the final spectrum. This process was repeated with the data subdivided according to scan direction (up or down) as a consistency check on the results.

The ISO spectra are shown in Figure 3. The plots display the full wavelength coverage of the data, corresponding to the wavelength coverage per scan for each of the four lines. We have strong detections of the \[S IV\] and \[O IV\] lines, whereas the \[Si IX\] and \[S III\] lines are not visible.

### 2.3 Measurements

We measured the fluxes of the narrow lines that lack broad counterparts directly, whereas for severely blended lines like H$`\alpha `$ and \[N II\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6548, 6583, we used the \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007 profile as a template to deblend the lines (see Crenshaw & Peterson 1986). To measure the broad component of the permitted lines, we deblended and removed the narrow components, and determined the remaining flux above a local continuum. For some lines, the broad component was expected to be present but was too weak for a reasonable flux measurement.

We determined the reddening of the narrow emission lines from the He II $`\lambda `$1640/$`\lambda `$4686 ratio and the Galactic reddening curve of Savage & Mathis (1979). The He II lines are due to recombination and are therefore essentially insensitive to temperature and density effects; we adopt an intrinsic value of 7.2 for this ratio, which is consistent with our model values (Section 4). The observed He II ratio is 6.0 $`\pm `$ 0.8, which yields a reddening of $`E_{BV}`$ $`=`$ 0.05 $`\pm `$0.03 mag. The reddening from our own Galaxy is $``$ 0.03 mag (Murphy et al. 1996).

Table 1 gives the observed and dereddened narrow-line ratios relative to narrow H$`\beta `$, and errors in the dereddened ratios. Table 2 gives the observed broad-line ratios, relative to broad H$`\beta `$, and dereddened broad-line ratios obtained by assuming the broad lines experience the same amount of reddening as the narrow lines. We determined errors in the dereddened ratios from the sum in quadrature of the errors from three sources: photon noise, different reasonable continuum placements, and reddening.

## 3 Photoionization Models

As in our previous studies (e.g., Kraemer et al. 1998a), we have attempted to keep the number of free parameters to a minimum by using the best available observational constraints and simplest of assumptions. For example, the size of the emission-line region predicted by the models could not exceed the upper limits from ground-based measurements ($``$ 13 pc, FHS93). The spectral energy distribution (SED) of the ionizing continuum radiation was determined by simple fits to the observed fluxes in the UV and X-ray. Since it is apparent that there are distinct broad and narrow emission-line regions in the nucleus of NGC 4395, which cannot be modeled assuming a single density, we initially assumed a single component each for the BLR and NLR gas. Additional components were added to improve the fit to the observed emission-line ratios, but only if they met the observational constraints.

The details of the photoionization code are given in Kraemer (1985) and other papers (cf. Kraemer et al. 1994). Following convention, our photoionization models are parameterized in terms of the number of ionizing photons per hydrogen atom at the illuminated face of the cloud, referred to as the ionization parameter:

$$U=\frac{1}{4\pi D^2n_Hc}_{\nu _0}^{\mathrm{}}\frac{L_\nu }{h\nu }𝑑\nu ,$$
(1)   
where $`L_\nu `$ is the frequency dependent luminosity of the ionizing continuum, $`n_H`$ is the number density of atomic hydrogen, $`D`$ is the distance between the cloud and the ionizing source, and $`h\nu _0`$ =13.6 eV.

In the following subsections, we will discuss how values were assigned to the various input parameters.

### 3.1 Elemental Abundances

Several studies have addressed the elemental abundances in the H II regions within NGC 4395, and there is strong evidence that the O/H ratio is significantly subsolar (Vila-Costas & Edmunds 1993; Roy et al. 1996; van Zee, Salzer, & Haynes 1998). Roy et al. (1996) derived a value of log(O/H) $`=`$ $``$3.7 for an H II region within $``$ 0.1 kpc of the nucleus, based on the \[N II\]/\[O III\] ratio and the semi-empirical calibration of Edmunds & Pagel (1984). The accuracy of this estimate and its appropriateness for the nucleus are uncertain, however, since results reported by Roy et al. for other regions in this galaxy show a scatter spanning log(O/H) = $``$4.2 to $``$3.4, with no clear radial trend (see also Vila-Costas & Edmunds 1993). Our test calculations suggest that the \[O I\] $`\lambda `$6300/H$`\beta `$ ratio is best matched with an abundance of at least log(O/H) = $``$3.5 ($``$ 1/2 solar; Grevesse & Anders 1989), in plausible agreement with the extranuclear results, and therefore we adopt this value for our analysis.

The evidence is strong that the N/O abundance ratio in NGC 4395 is also subsolar. Estimates based on optical \[N II\]/\[O II\] line ratios for H II regions in this galaxy generally fall in the range of log(N/O) $``$ $``$1.5 to $``$ 1.2 (corresponding to 0.2 – 0.4 times solar; Vila-Costas & Edmunds 1993; van Zee, Salzer, & Haynes 1998). Abundances in this range are typical of H II regions in low-metallicity galaxies, and are interpreted in terms of the combined effects of primary and secondary nitrogen production (van Zee et al., and references therein).

For the nucleus, FS89 have previously commented on the weakness of the optical nitrogen lines relative to \[O I\] $`\lambda `$6300 and \[S II\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6716, 6731, which may be taken as evidence of an underabundance of nitrogen. With the current dataset it is possible to estimate directly the N/O ratio within the nucleus using the ratio of the O III\] $`\lambda `$1664/N III\] $`\lambda `$1750 lines, as discussed by Netzer (1997). The theoretical ratio is as follows:

$$\frac{I(\lambda 1664)}{I(\lambda 1750)}=0.41T_4^{0.04}\mathrm{exp}(0.43/T_4)\frac{N(O^{+2})}{N(N^{+2})},$$
(2)   
where $`T_4`$ is the temperature in units of 10,000 K. The N<sup>+2</sup> and O<sup>+2</sup> are expected to show strong overlap, such that the ratio of these ions closely reflects the total abundance ratio. N III\] $`\lambda `$1750 appears to be present (see Figure 1), although weak and near an artifact in the FOS G190H spectrum. Assuming an upper limit to the dereddened strength of this line to be 0.1 times that of H$`\beta `$, and $`T=`$ 15,000 K, equation (2) yields N(O<sup>+2</sup>)/N(N<sup>+2</sup>) $``$ 16, or log(N/O) $``$ $``$1.2, consistent with the extranuclear results. Based on these findings, we adopt a ratio of N/O equal to 1/3 solar (i.e., N/H $`=`$ 1/6 solar) for our numerical calculations.

With the exception of N, the abundances of other elements heavier than He are scaled in proportion to O. The resulting abundances, by number, relative to H are thus He=0.1, C=1.7x10<sup>-4</sup>, O=3.4x10<sup>-4</sup>, N=2.0x10<sup>-5</sup>, Ne=6.0x10<sup>-5</sup>, S=8.0x10<sup>-6</sup>, Si=1.6x10<sup>-5</sup>, Mg=1.6x10<sup>-5</sup>, and Fe=2.0x10<sup>-5</sup>. As discussed below, gas-phase abundances are modified in some cases from these values to reflect depletion onto grains.

### 3.2 The Ionizing Continuum

In these simple models, the gas is photoionized by radiation from the central AGN, and therefore the results are dependent on what we assume for the SED and total luminosity of the central source. The simplest estimate of the shape of the SED is made by fitting the observed flux in the UV to that in the soft X-ray (from ROSAT/PSPC data) as a simple power-law ($`f_\nu \nu ^\alpha `$). However, as noted by Moran et al. (1999), the X-ray continuum from NGC 4395 may be absorbed, and therefore such a fit may not represent the intrinsic SED. Using the HST/FOS spectra, FHS93 fit the continuum below 2000 Å with a power law of index $`=`$ $``$1. If, for the sake of convention, we extend this to the Lyman limit, the continuum out to 0.1 keV (the low-energy end of the ROSAT band) can be fit using a power law with an index of $``$3. This is clearly too soft to reproduce the observed He II $`\lambda `$4686/H$`\beta `$ ratio. For example, a simple photon counting calculation, which assumes all photons between 13.6 eV and 54.4 eV go into ionizing hydrogen while photons with energies above 54.4 eV go into ionizing He II (cf. Kraemer et al. 1994), yields a power-law index $``$ $``$1.5. Furthermore, Moran et al. fit the continuum between 0.1 and 2 keV with a power law with a positive spectral index. This is rare in Seyfert 1 spectra, and such occurrences are typically attributed to absorption by an intervening layer of “cold” (i.e., $`<`$ 10<sup>5</sup> K) gas intrinsic to the nucleus of the galaxy (cf. Feldmeier et al. 1999; Kraemer et al. 1998b). Therefore, we modeled the continuum as a power law extending from the Lyman limit to 1 keV, since an absorber would be relatively transparent above 1 keV, and Seyfert X-ray spectra often steepen below 1 keV (e.g., Arnaud et al. 1985; Turner & Pounds 1989). Above 1 keV, we assumed a relatively flat continuum, as is typical in Seyfert galaxies (cf. Nandra & Pounds 1994). The ionizing continuum is then expressed as $`F_\nu `$$`=`$K$`\nu ^\alpha `$, where

$$\alpha =1.0,h\nu <13.6\mathrm{eV}$$
(3)   
$$\alpha =1.7,13.6eVh\nu <1000\mathrm{eV}$$
(4)   
$$\alpha =0.7,h\nu 1000\mathrm{eV}.$$
(5)   
To be conservative, we set $`F_\nu `$ at log($`\nu `$) $`=`$ 15.4 to the observed value from the FOS data. We have estimated $`F_\nu `$ at log($`\nu `$) $`=`$ 17.4 based on a fit to the ROSAT/PSPC data in Moran et al. (1999), with the caveat that this is likely to be a lower limit if the spectrum is indeed absorbed at lower energies. To get the luminosity, we assumed a distance of 2.6 Mpc. Again, if there is absorption at either of these energies, the luminosity assumed here ($`L_{h\nu >13.6\mathrm{eV}}`$ $``$ 2.5 x 10<sup>39</sup> ergs s<sup>-1</sup>) is an underestimate, a point to which we will return in the Discussion section.

### 3.3 Individual Components

As we have noted, the spectra (see Figure 1) of NGC 4395 show emission lines from a wide range ionization states (e.g. oxygen lines from all ionization states, from O<sup>0</sup> to O<sup>+3</sup>). The optical and UV permitted lines possess broad (FWHM $``$ 1000 km s<sup>-1</sup>) wings, which are apparently absent from even the highest excitation forbidden lines (e.g., \[Ne V\] $`\lambda `$3426, \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007). Therefore, a high-density component is required to fit the broad emission lines. The broad H$`\alpha `$/H$`\beta `$ ratio is significantly greater than Case B (see Table 2), providing evidence for collisional excitation from the n $`=`$ 2 state of hydrogen, which is comparable to recombination at $`n_H`$ $``$ 10<sup>10</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> (Krolik & McKee 1978; Ferland & Netzer 1979). There does not appear to be a strong broad component of Si III\] $`\lambda `$1892 compared to C III\] $`\lambda `$1909 (although there appears to be some contamination by Fe II, so it is difficult to determine this accurately at low resolution), which constrains the upper limit for the density at $``$ 5 x 10<sup>10</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>, at which collisional de-excitation would strongly suppress C III\] $`\lambda `$1909, and, thus, the emission near 1900 Å would begin to be dominated by the Si III\] line, which has a significantly higher critical density. The final combination of ionization parameter and density was chosen to reproduce the observed C IV $`\lambda `$1550/H$`\beta `$ and C IV$`\lambda `$1550/C III\] $`\lambda `$1909 ratios. As such, for this component (BROAD) we choose $`n_H`$ $`=`$ 3 x 10<sup>10</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> and $`U=`$ 10<sup>-2.25</sup>, at a distance $`D=`$ 3 x 10<sup>-4</sup> pc from the central source. For these conditions, dust temperatures would be greater than the sublimation temperatures of either silicate or graphite grains (i.e., in excess of 2000 K), so BROAD was assumed to be dust-free. The model was truncated at an effective column density (the column density of ionized and neutral hydrogen), $`N_{eff}`$ $``$ 7 x 10<sup>22</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, chosen so that the predicted broad He II $`\lambda `$4686/H$`\beta `$ did not fall too far below the observed value (there would be significant collision excitation of H$`\beta `$ in a warm, neutral envelope, which would lower this ratio).

As noted in Section 2.1, the narrow-line spectrum shows evidence for ionization stratification in the NLR. Nevertheless, we initially attempted to model the NLR with a single component using an average set of initial conditions. As expected, we found it impossible to produce the relative strengths of high- and low-ionization lines with a single set of input parameters. Consequently, multiple component models were required for a satisfactory fit to the emission-line ratios.

The observed \[O III\] $`\lambda \lambda `$4959, 5007/\[O III\] $`\lambda `$4363 is $``$ 40, which indicates either an electron temperature in excess of 20,000 K (Osterbrock 1974) or some modest modification of this ratio by collisional effects. Since it is unlikely that such a high electron temperature can occur in the O<sup>+2</sup> zone of photoionized gas, the latter is more plausible. Therefore, we have modeled this component of the NLR (INNER) assuming a density, $`n_H`$ $`=`$ 10<sup>6</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>, which is above the critical density for the \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007 line. In order to keep from underpredicting the C IV $`\lambda `$1550/C III\] $`\lambda `$1909 ratio, we set $`U=`$ 10<sup>-1.5</sup>, which places it at a distance $`D=`$ 0.023 pc from the central source, and assumed it was dust-free. Integration of the model was truncated when the electron temperature fell below 5000 K, and there was no longer any significant contribution to the line emission, making it effectively radiation-bounded.

The \[S II\] $`\lambda `$6716/$`\lambda `$6731 ratio is $``$ 0.9, which indicates an electron density $``$ 10<sup>3</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>; the hydrogen density could be somewhat higher since the ionization potential of S<sup>+</sup> is below the Lyman limit and the \[S II\] lines often arise in warm, neutral gas. Collisional de-excitation suppresses \[O II\] $`\lambda `$3727 at densities $`n_H`$ $``$ 10<sup>4</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup> (De Robertis & Osterbrock 1984), and, thus, there is a negligible contribution to the $`\lambda `$3727 line from INNER. For these reasons, we included a second NLR component (OUTER) with $`n_H`$ $`=`$ 10<sup>4</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>, $`U=`$ 10<sup>-4</sup>, and $`D=`$ 3.76 pc. The weakness of narrow Mg II $`\lambda `$2800/H$`\beta `$, particularly compared with other low ionization lines such as \[O I\] $`\lambda `$6300 and \[S II\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6716,6731, would indicate that there is likely to be depletion of magnesium onto dust grains in the lower ionization NLR gas. Therefore, we included cosmic dust in OUTER, with a dust-to-gas ratio scaled by the abundances we have chosen, i.e. approximately 50% the Galactic value. The fractional depletions are similar to those calculated by Seab & Shull (1983). This component was also radiation-bounded.

We attempted to fit the narrow-line ratios with a 2-component model, however there were several emission lines, such as \[Ne IV\] $`\lambda `$2423 and \[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m, which were underpredicted by any combination of the low- and high- density/ionization components described above. Specifically, there appears to be a component of the NLR characterized by low density and high ionization parameter. If this component is the source of the \[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m emission, its density must not be much greater than the critical density for this transition, i.e about 10<sup>4</sup> cm<sup>-3</sup>. Therefore, we added a third component (MIDDLE) with the same density and dust fraction as OUTER, but with $`U=`$ 10<sup>-1.7</sup>, at $`D=`$ 0.27 pc. Integration was truncated at $`N_{eff}`$ $``$ 10<sup>21</sup>cm<sup>-2</sup>, which, although arbitrary, gives MIDDLE the same physical depth as OUTER.

## 4 Model Results

The predicted line ratios for the three NLR models are listed in Table 3. As expected, INNER predicts strong C IV $`\lambda `$1550, C III\] $`\lambda `$1909, \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007, and \[O III\] $`\lambda `$4363. Nearly all the \[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m and \[S IV\] 10.5 $`\mu `$m emission comes from MIDDLE, which also predicts strong \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007, \[Ne IV\] $`\lambda `$2324, and a large He II $`\lambda `$4686/H$`\beta `$ ratio (due to the truncation of the partially neutral zone). Low-ionization lines, such as \[O II\] $`\lambda `$3727, \[S II\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6716, 6731, and \[N II\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6548, 6583, are strongest in OUTER, except for Mg II $`\lambda `$2800, which is affected by depletion onto dust.

In creating a composite model from the three narrow-line components we first fit the low-ionization component and then added the two higher ionization components in a ratio to obtain the best fit to the high-ionization lines (such as C IV $`\lambda `$1550, \[Ne IV\] $`\lambda `$2423, and \[Ne V\] $`\lambda `$3426). The following fractional contributions to the composite narrow-line model were used: OUTER, 50%; INNER, 30%; and MIDDLE, 20%. Although the fit could be marginally improved by fine-tuning the model parameters and the balance between these components, no significant additional insight would be obtained by such an exercise. This three-component model is, of course, a very simple approximation of what is likely to be a complex region consisting of a range of physical conditions. Nevertheless, we can derive some insight into the global physical parameters from these models.

The comparison of the composite model predictions and the dereddened narrow-line ratios is given in Table 4. Overall, the fit is quite good for lines from a variety of ionization states and critical densities, such as Si IV $`\lambda `$1398 $`+`$ O IV\] $`\lambda `$1402, C IV $`\lambda `$1550, \[Ne IV\] $`\lambda `$2423, \[O II\] $`\lambda `$3727, \[O I\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6300, 6364, \[S II\] $`\lambda \lambda `$6716, 6731, and many weaker lines. This indicates that the models provide a reasonable representation of the range in ionization parameter and density of the NLR gas. Also, the quality of the fit for the nitrogen lines is evidence that the chosen N/O ratio is approximately correct. The predicted strengths of the coronal lines, such as \[Fe VII\] $`\lambda `$6087 and \[Ne V\] $`\lambda \lambda `$3346, 3426, are a reasonable match to the observations; hence, there is no need to include the additional collisional heating (due to shocks) suggested by Contini (1997).

There are, as is typical of such simple models, a few discrepancies. First, the predicted He II lines are a bit strong. Although this may be due to the arbitrary truncation of MIDDLE, it may also be an indication that the SED we have assumed for the models is a bit too hard. As noted in Section 3.2, in fitting the UV to X-ray continuum, we have not corrected the UV flux to account for reddening. If the reddening is not negligible, and the derived X-ray flux at 1 keV is not biased by the strong absorption apparent at $``$ 0.1 keV, the intrinsic continuum may be somewhat softer. However, the spectral index derived from photon counting is close to the value we used ($``$1.5, as opposed to $``$1.7) and, therefore, we do not think that the intrinsic SED differs significantly from that which we have assumed. The \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007/\[O III\] $`\lambda `$4363 ratio is a bit low, which could be remedied if the density for INNER were decreased by a factor $``$ 2. This would also help reduce the relative strength of the C III\] $`\lambda `$1909 line, which is enhanced at the higher density. Mg II $`\lambda `$2800 is a bit too strong, indicating that some dust may exist in the inner NLR, which is plausible, since dust temperatures calculated for INNER would not exceed 700 K.

Although these discrepancies could be eliminated with minor adjustments of free parameters, the underpredictions of the strengths of \[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m and \[S IV\] 10.5 $`\mu `$m are not as easily remedied. Since the strengths of lines from the same ionization states, such as O IV\] $`\lambda `$1402, are not similarly underpredicted, and the conditions in MIDDLE have been optimized for the high-ionization IR fine structure lines, the simplest explanation is that these lines arise in gas that is obscured by a layer of dust, and therefore not detected in the UV or optical. If the conditions are identical to those in MIDDLE (\[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m/H$`\beta `$ $`=`$ 2.0), the contribution from the obscured component would have to be a factor of $``$ 4 times greater than MIDDLE, and its contribution to the observed narrow H$`\beta `$ must be negligible (i.e., $`<`$ 10%). Therefore, the ratio of (\[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m/H$`\beta `$)<sub>observed</sub>/(\[O IV\] 25.9 $`\mu `$m/H$`\beta `$)<sub>emitted</sub> would be $``$ 10. From this ratio, we can derive an estimate of the column density of the obscuring layer. Assuming no extinction at 25.9 $`\mu `$m, and the reddening curve of Savage & Mathis (1979), the reddening derived from the line ratios is $`E_{BV}`$ $``$ 0.68 mag. This yields a column density $`N_{eff}`$ $``$ 7 x 10<sup>21</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>, using the relation given in Shull & Van Steenberg (1985), scaled by the abundances we have assumed for NGC 4395. Although this is somewhat larger than the $`N_{eff}`$ for either of the low-ionization models, the truncation of each was arbitrary, and a larger column for OUTER would not appreciably affect the predicted emission-line ratios. Thus, it is probable that the \[O IV\] emission arises in a region that is obscured by a layer of dusty emission line gas. If so, there are consequences for the estimates of the covering factor of the ionized gas and the intrinsic luminosity of the central source, which we discuss in Section 5.

The comparison of the predictions from BROAD and the dereddened broad-line ratios is given in Table 5. Again, the overall agreement is quite good, in particular the ratio of C IV $`\lambda `$1550/C III\] $`\lambda `$1909, and the strengths of the Si IV $`\lambda `$1398 $`+`$ O IV\] $`\lambda `$1402 and the He II/H$`\beta `$ ratios. This is interesting, since we chose to represent the BLR with a single (i.e., average) set of physical conditions, while it is apparent that the region is extended, as evidenced by the fact that C IV $`\lambda `$1550 has broader wings than H$`\beta `$. The single discrepancy is the overprediction of the Mg II $`\lambda `$2800 line. It is unlikely that the weakness of the observed line is due to depletion of magnesium onto dust grains, since, as noted above, dust would probably be unable to exist in the BLR of NGC 4395. It is possible that the relative abundances of magnesium and other refractory elements, such as silicon and iron, are somewhat less than what we have assumed for these models, although there is no strong evidence for this, based on the narrow emission line spectrum. Since much of the Mg II $`\lambda `$2800 emission occurs at optical depths $`>`$ 5 at the Lyman limit, it is possible that the physical size of the broad-line clouds is smaller than what we have assumed. If so, a model characterized by a lower value for $`U`$, truncated at a smaller $`N_{eff}`$, might result in a slightly better fit.

## 5 Discussion

As noted above, these models provide a very good fit to the observed emission-line ratios. Also, the radial distance of OUTER, the component furthest from the central source, is 3.76 pc, which is well within the upper limit of 13 pc for the FWHM of the emission-line region (FHS93). Therefore, we feel confident that the model results can be used to estimate some of the global properties of the active nucleus of NGC 4395.

The emitted H$`\beta `$ flux predicted by each NLR model is given in the footnotes for Table 3. From these values, the luminosity assumed for the ionizing source, and the fractional contribution to the narrow H$`\beta `$ luminosity of NGC 4395, we may estimate the “covering factor” of each component, or more specifically, the fraction of ionizing photons intercepted by each component and converted into emission-line photons. If, for the sake of simplicity, we assume that each component can be approximated as a fraction of the surface of a sphere with a radius equal to the distance from the central source, we derive the following covering factors: INNER, 27%; MIDDLE, 61%, and OUTER, 42%. The emitted H$`\beta `$ flux for BROAD is given in Table 5. By comparison to the observed broad H$`\beta `$ we calculate a covering factor of 67% for BROAD. Thus, the total covering factor of the emission-line gas is $``$ 200%. This implies that the luminosity calculated from the observed continuum fluxes is an underestimate of at least a factor of 2. However, as discussed above, there is also evidence for a significant amount of obscured gas not included in our models. If we include this additional component, the total covering would increase by a factor greater than 2.

As noted in Section 3.2, there is evidence that the observed UV to X-ray continuum may be absorbed. Since the covering factor of the emission-line gas is large, it is possible that the continuum source is occulted by it. In Figure 4, we compare the incident and transmitted ionizing continnua for model MIDDLE, the NLR component with the largest covering factor. Since MIDDLE is essentially opaque at the He II Lyman limit, a fit to the 0.1 - 2 keV band yields a positive index, as seen in the ROSAT/PSPC spectrum (Moran et al. 1999). There is also attenuation below the Lyman limit due to dust. The amount of reddening in MIDDLE is $`E_{BV}`$ $``$ 0.10 mag, which is only slightly larger than the reddening determined from the emission lines, $`E_{BV}`$ $`=`$ 0.05 $`\pm `$ 0.03. If the continuum is reddened by this amount, the intrinsic luminosity in the UV could easily be more than a factor of 2 greater than what we have assumed, based on the observed fluxes. In fact, depending on the strength of the 2200 Å bump intrinsic to NGC 4395, the continuum may indeed be somewhat more reddened than the emission lines (Moran et al. 1999). We are led to the following conclusion: the covering factor of the emission line gas is near unity and the total luminosity of the central source in the Lyman continuum may be more than 4 times the estimate based on the observed fluxes, or $`L_{h\nu >13.6\mathrm{eV}}`$ $``$ 1 x 10<sup>40</sup> ergs s<sup>-1</sup>. If so, the radial distances of each of the model components would increase by more than a factor of 2.

The observed equivalent width (EW) of the broad C IV $`\lambda `$1550, 76 Å (FHS93), is a factor of 10 lower than predicted by an extrapolation of the Baldwin relation, a negative correlation between the EW and source luminosity (see Figure 3(a) in Kinney, Rivolo & Koratkar (1990)). However, as the covering factor of the emission-line gas approaches unity, the EW must approach a maximum, since at this point the conversion of continuum photons into line photons must saturate. This must be the case for NGC 4395, since the covering factor of the BLR gas is large. If NGC 4395 were included in the plot in Kinney et al. a turn-over at the low-luminosity end would be apparent. Evidence that the Baldwin effect flattens in slope at low luminosity has been reported previously by several researchers (e.g., Véron-Cetty, Véron, & Tarenghi 1983; Wu, Boggess, & Gull 1983; Kinney et al. 1990; Osmer, Porter, & Green 1994). The high covering factor determined for NGC 4395 lends support to the idea that the Baldwin effect is at least partially driven by a luminosity dependence in covering factor in AGN; the curvature seen in the Baldwin relation can then be naturally explained by coverage hitting a maximum value at low luminosities (Wampler et al. 1984).

We can also use the model results to determine the mass of the putative central black hole. As noted in Section 2.1, the FWHM of the broad H$`\beta `$ line is $``$ 1500 km s<sup>-1</sup>. From the radial distance assumed for BROAD, 3 x 10<sup>-4</sup> pc, we compute a virial mass, $`M_{bh}`$ $``$ 1.5 x 10<sup>5</sup> $`M_{}`$. which is similar to the mass derived from the stellar kinematics (Filippenko & Ho 1999), although if we scale the radial distance of BROAD by the ratio of the intrinsic to observed central source luminosity, $`M_{bh}`$ would be twice as large. Interestingly, the width of the broad C IV $`\lambda `$1550 line ($``$ 5000 km s<sup>-1</sup>) implies a mass an order of magnitude larger, although the BLR of NGC 4395 is stratified and it is likely that much of the C IV emission arises closer to the nucleus than BROAD. Also, non-gravitational effects, such as a wind, could result in a radial component of the gas motion that could bias the derivation of the central mass. As we also noted in Section 2.1, the observed widths of the narrow lines are quite small, with FWHM $``$ 50 km s<sup>-1</sup> for \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007 (FS89). From our models, the average distance of the \[O III\] emitting clouds is 0.14 pc. Based on our mass estimate, the velocity width for clouds in virial motion would be $``$ 55 km s<sup>-1</sup>, in agreement with the observations.

The model results support our assumptions regarding the elemental abundances in the nucleus of NGC 4395. First, the heavy element abundances are clearly subsolar, as previous studies of the H II regions have also indicated (Roy et al. 1996). Although most AGN appear to possess solar or supersolar abundances (cf. Ferland et al. 1996; Oliva 1996; Netzer & Turner 1997), NGC 4395 is an extremely low-mass, low-luminosity AGN, and therefore the underabundance of heavy elements is to be expected. The underabundance of nitrogen with respect to oxygen is also typical of low metallicity dwarf galaxies (cf. van Zee et al. 1998), and is likely to be the result of the combined effects of primary and secondary origins of nitrogen.

## 6 Conclusions

We have analyzed UV, optical, and IR spectra of the active nucleus in the Sd IV galaxy NGC 4395. The permitted lines in the UV and optical were deconvolved into broad (FWHM $`>`$ 1000 km s<sup>-1</sup>) and narrow components. We have constructed photoionization models of the broad-line and narrow-line gas, and have successfully matched the observed emission-lines ratios, with the very few exceptions noted in Section 4. The model results predict an NLR size ($`<`$ 5 pc in radius) that is within the observed constraints. The models predict a covering factor for the emission-line gas greater than unity, but we have shown evidence that the observed continuum in the UV and X-ray is absorbed by an intervening layer of dusty gas which has properties similar to the low-density components used in our composite NLR model. Our analysis supports previous conclusions regarding the nature of NGC 4395 (FS89; FHS93), specifically that this object harbors a dwarf Seyfert 1 nucleus.

Our models predict that the NLR in NGC 4395 is extremely compact. In particular, the region in which most of the \[O III\] $`\lambda `$5007 emission arises is $`<`$ 1/2 pc from the central source. Also, the recombination time for INNER is roughly a few months. As such, if there were changes in the continuum flux on similar timescales (a few months to several years), we might expect to see corresponding variations in the narrow emission lines. Although the optical continuum flux from NGC 4395 may vary as much as 20% on timescales $``$ 1 day (Lira, Lawrence, & Johnson 1999), the nature of the variability over longer timescales in not well known. As such, continued monitoring of NGC 4395 to look for both long-term continuum changes and possible narrow-line variability is warranted.

Perhaps the most important conclusion is, simply, that NGC 4395 is an example of the AGN phenomenon extended to a low luminosity extreme ($``$ 10<sup>6</sup> fainter than typical QSOs). It is also the only known example of an active nucleus within a bulge-less, extreme late-type galaxy. It is fascinating that the fundamental physics of an AGN, specifically a region powered by a massive black hole, is at work over such a huge range in mass and luminosity. In fact, it is worth noting that it is likely that an AGN this weak could only be detected in a low-mass galaxy, since any other nuclear activity, such as a starburst, could easily overpower it. Being able to study the low-luminosity end of the AGN menagerie also gives us insight into properties that appear to be a function of luminosity, such as the Baldwin effect. These results help amplify the importance of covering factor for this effect, and are further evidence that large BLR covering factors may be a property of low-luminosity AGNs.

S.B.K is grateful to Jane Turner for helpful discussions concerning the ROSAT/PSPC data. J.C.S. thanks Sarah Unger and the rest of the IPAC staff for their assistance in scheduling and analyzing observations with ISO. We acknowledge support from the following NASA grants: NAG 5-4103 (S.B.K. and D.M.C.), AR-07527 (L.C.H. and A.V.F.), NAG 5-3563 (J.C.S.), and NAG 5-3556 (A.V.F.).