H-alpha monitoring of OJ 287 in 2005-08
  We present the results of H-alpha monitoring of the BL Lac object OJ 287 with
the VLT during seven epochs in 2005-08. We were able to detect five previously
undetected narrow emission lines, 6548,6583[NII], 6563H-alpha$ and
6716,6731[SII] during at least one of the epochs and a broad H-alpha feature
during two epochs. The broad H-alpha luminosity was a factor ~10 lower in
2005-08 than in 1984 when the line was previously detected and a factor ~10
lower than what is observed in quasars and Seyfert galaxies at the same
redshift. The data are consistent with no change in the position or luminosity
of the H-alpha line in 2005-08. The width of the H-alpha line was 4200 +- 500
km/s, consistent with the width in 1984.
