| An unprecedented and highly successful monitoring campaign was carried out primarily with the UCLA 24-inch telescope on a monthly timescale for 51 Seyfert 1 galaxies and quasars. Simultaneous optical and infrared photometry was obtained in order to search for characteristic signatures of thermal dust reverberation. A dozen promising cases of correlated variations were detected, and among them, Markarian 744 was well-modeled by reverberation.; This theoretical model, fully described and tested here, generates an infrared light curve based on observed optical variations and the assumption that this variability extends into the unobserved ultraviolet which drives the dust emission. Through varying free parameters, the output infrared light curve is fit to observed data points. For Mrk 744, a lag time of 32 days and a dust temperature of 1750 K were derived.; Two other objects, NGC 6814 and IRAS 03450+0055, were also modeled. NGC 6814 showed a lag time consistent with zero, and the model provides a reasonable fit to the observations. IRAS 03450+0055 showed a correlation between two events in both light curves, but since this object has less significant variations, the thermal dust model is not as compelling.; It is generally accepted that the galaxy Fairall 9 provides a strong case for reverberation, via Barvainis (1992). His methods and results are closely examined here and compared with mine. In contrary to what Barvainis claims, my results indicate that it may be impossible to derive a sensible reverberation model for this object.; An untapped resource of untold value is available to the field of AGN variability: amateur astronomers. A world-wide network of observers is already established in the form of the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), an organization whose contributions to variable star research are well known. Many of these backyard observers are even now making professional quality observations with CCD cameras. The extension of the AAVSO into variable galactic nucleus observing would be a logical and straightforward undertaking. The benefits of such collective efforts between professional and amateur astronomers are obvious. To highlight the possibilities, a continuing collaboration with one individual is described. |
