SPECTROSCOPIC MONITORING OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI FROM CTIO-I NGC-3227

The results of a five-month monitoring campaign on the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy NGC 3227 are presented. Variability was detected in the continuum and in the broad emission lines. Cross correlations of the 4200 Angstrom continuum light curve with the H beta and He II lambda 4686 emission-line light curves indicate delays of 18 +/- 5 and 16 +/- 2 days, respectively, between the continuum variations and the response of the lines. We apply a maximum entropy method to solve for the transfer function that relates the H beta and He II lambda 4686 lines and 4200 Angstrom continuum variability and the result of this analysis suggests that there is a deficit of emission-line response due to gas along the line of sight to the continuum source for both lines. Using a composite off-nuclear spectrum, we synthesize the bulge stellar population, which is found to be mainly old (77% with age >10 Gyr) with a metallicity twice the solar value. The synthesis also yields an internal color excess E(B - V) approximate to 0.04. The mean contribution of the stellar population to the inner 5'' x 10'' spectra during the campaign was similar to 40%.