X-ray variability and spectral scaling: A measure of BLR sizes in AGN

We developed a new method of determination of the size of the broad emission-line region (BLR) in active galactic nuclei. This method relates the radius of the broad-line region of AGN to the soft X-ray luminosity and spectral index. Comparing the BLR distances calculated from our model to the BLR distances determined by reverberation mapping shows that our scaling law agrees with the R similar to L-1/2 empirical relation. Here we investigate a complimentary method of estimating the BLR distance - based on the Keplerian broadening of the emission lines and the central mass estimated from X-ray variability.