Observational Definition of Future AGN Echo-Mapping Experiments

We describe numerical simulations we have begun in order to determine the observational requirements for future echo-apping experiments. We focus on two particular problems: (1) determination of the structure and kinematics of the broad-line region through emission- line reverberation mapping, and (2) detection of interband continuum lags that may be used as a probe of the continuum source, presumably a temperature-stratified accretion disk. Our preliminary results suggest the broad-line region can be reverberation-mapped to good precision with spectra of signal-to-noise ratio per pixel S/N approx. = 30, time resolution (Delta)t approx. = 0.1 day, and duration of about 60 days (which is a factor of three larger than the longest time scale in the input models); data that meet these requirements do not yet exist. We also find that interband continuum lags of approx. greater than 0.5 days can be detected at approx. greater than 95% confidence with at least daily observations for about 6 weeks, or rather more easily and definitively with shorter programs undertaken with satellite-based observatories. The results of these simulations show that significant steps forward in multiwavelength monitoring will almost certainly require dedicated facilities.