Photometric Reverberation Mapping with SQUEAN: A Test Study using Medium Bands

Photometric reverberation mapping is an effective alternative to time consuming spectroscopy. It usually employs narrow bands to track the luminosity variations of broad emission lines, such as Balmer lines, and broadbands for the continuum variability. Here, we investigate the feasibility of substituting these for medium bands, with 50nm widths, that are currently being used on the SED Camera for QUasars in EArly uNiverse (SQUEAN) installed on the 2.1m Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Three targets with recent variability and/or short expected time lags were selected, and observed for 15 minutes each in the medium band containing $H{\alpha}$, and the two adjacent bands for continuum subtraction afterwards. Analysis shows that for one of the objects, SDSS J0350+0037, the pure $H{\alpha}$ emission line flux has a S/N ~ 12, so that variabilities up to ~ 8% are detectable. Thus, future observations using these medium bands on SQUEAN seem to be practical.