A Polarimetric Method for Measuring Black Hole Masses in Active Galactic
  Nuclei
  The structure of the broad emission line region (BLR) in active galactic
nuclei (AGN) remains unclear. We test in this paper a flattened configuration
model for BLR. The virial theorem, by taking into account the disc shape of
BLR, allows us to get a direct connection between the mass of a supermassive
black hole (SMBH) and the inclination angle of the accretion flow. The
inclination angle itself is derived from the spectropolarimetric data on broad
emission lines using the theory for the generation of polarized radiation
developed by Sobolev and Chandrasekhar. As the result, the new estimates of
SMBH masses in AGN with measured polarization of BLR are presented. It is
crucial that the polarimetric data allow also to determine the value of the
virial coefficient that is essential for determining SMBH masses.
