Abstract. We describe the SCORPIO focal reducer that has been used since the fall of 2000 for observations on the 6-m Special Astrophysical Observatory telescope. We give parameters of the instrument in various observing modes (direct images, long-slit and multislit spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, Fabry-Perot panoramic spectroscopy). Observations of various astronomical objects are used as examples to demonstrate the SCORPIO capabilities.

Here we present the spectropolarimetric observations of a sample of 30 Type 1 AGNs and an analysis of the observed polarization in these AGNs. The observations have been performed with the 6-meter telescope of SAO RAS using the modified SCORPIO-2 spectropolarimeter. We measured the Stokes parameters for the continuum and the broad Hα line and obtained the values of polarization degree and the angle of polarization. We found that equatorial scattering is dominant polarization mechanism in the sample, that allows us to use the observed polarization in the broad lines for determination of the central black hole (BH) masses and characteristics (the inclination and emissivity) of the Broad Line Region (BLR). We demonstrated that the recently proposed method of for BH mass measurement gives accurate BH masses which are in a good correlation with the stellar velocity dispersion, and consequently the masses determined by the polarization method can be used with calibration purposes. Additionally we found that the BLR in the sample of 30 AGN has an averaged inclination of 35 • ± 9 • (mostly between 20 and 40 degrees) and emissivity α ∼ −0.57 that is more flat than one expected for the classical accretion disc α ∼ −0.75.

Abstract. We present optical integral field observations of the H II region containing the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg II X-1. We confirm the existence of an X-ray ionized nebula as the counterpart of the source owing to the detection of an extended He II λ4686 region (21 × 47 pc) at the Chandra ACIS-S position. An extended blue object with a size of 11 × 14 pc is coincident with the X-ray/He II λ4686 region, which could indicate that it is either a young stellar complex or a cluster. We have derived an X-ray to optical luminosity ratio of L X /L B ≥ 170, and presumable it is L X /L B ∼ 300−400 using the recent HST ACS data. We find a complex velocity dispersion at the position of the ULX. In addition, there is a radial velocity variation in the X-ray ionized region found in the He II emission of ±50 km s −1 on spatial scales of 2-3 . We believe that the putative black hole not only ionizes the surrounding HII gas, but also perturbs it dynamically (via jets or the accretion disk wind). The spatial analysis of the public Chandra ACIS-S data reveals a point-like X-ray source and gives marginal indication of an extended component ( 15% of the total flux). The XMM-Newton EPIC-PN spectrum of HoII X-1 is best fitted with an absorbed power law in addition to either a thermal thick plasma or a thermal thin plasma or a multi-colour disk black body (MCD). In all cases, the thermal component shows a relatively low temperature (kT ∼ 0.14−0.22 keV). Finally we discuss the optical/X-ray properties of HoII X-1 with regards to the possible nature of the source. The existence of an X-ray ionized nebula coincident with the ULX and the soft X-ray component with a cool accretion disk favours the interpretation as an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH). However, the complex velocity behaviour at the position of the ULX indicates a dynamical influence of the black hole on the local HII gas.

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Here we present an analysis of spectro-polarimetric observations of type 1.5 AGN Mrk 6, performed with 6m telescope SAO RAN in 12 epochs (2010-2013. Additionally, the interstellar mater (ISM) polarization has been observed and its contribution to the AGN spectral polarization is taken into account.We measured Stokes parameters and determined the polarization parameters in 12 spectra with and without correction for the ISM polarization. We estimated the time lag between the unpolarized and polarized continuum flux variation of about ∼ 2 days, that indicates a compact scattering region which contributes to the polarized continuum variability. The polarization in Hα is complex, showing three prominent components in the BLR, one redshifted around +3000 kms −1 that corresponds to the red shoulder in Hα, and two blue-shifted around -2000 kms −1 and -6000 kms −1 .We found that the ISM polarization has a very significant influence on the measured AGN polarization parameters. After correcting the observations for the ISM polarization we were able to detect the Keplerian motion in the BLR.We give a new method for the black hole mass estimation using spectro-polarimetric observation in the line profile, finding the black hole mass in Mrk 6 of M BH ∼ 1.53 · 10 8 M ⊙ , that is in a good agreement with reverberation estimates.

Abstract. We present integral field spectroscopy of the LBV candidate stars B 416 and v 532 in the local group galaxy M 33. B 416 is surrounded by an elongated ring-like nebula, which has a projected radius of 20 × 30 pc. From the datacube we create ionization and radial velocity maps of the nebula. The excitation of the gas decreases towards the outer part of the ring, while the inner part of the nebula is filled with a more excited gas. In the EW direction the ring is seen to expand with a maximum projected velocity amplitude of about 40 km s −1 . The eastern part approaches the observer. We estimate the nebula dynamical lifetime ∼8 × 10 5 years. It could be a residual MS bubble, which indicates a main-sequence or pre-LBV status of the star. We classify B 416 as an "iron star" or B[e]-supergiant. In v 532 an elongated nebula has been marginally detected. The total projected size of the nebula along the main axis is 30 pc, and the total radial velocity gradient is 44 ± 11 km s −1 . v 532 exhibits both strong photometric and spectral variability. At the time of our observations it was in an intermediate brightness state with a rich nitrogen spectrum. We classify v 532 as an LBV, showing LBV ↔ Ofpe/WN transitions. We stress the importance of integral field spectroscopy as the optimal technique for studying nebulae and the evolution of LBV-like stars in nearby galaxies.

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Partly based on observations collected with the 6m telescope (BTA) at the Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).