Abstract
We compare the emission-line and optical continuum axes in a sample of 29 Seyfert galaxies. We find a strong trend for the [O III] λ5007-emitting gas to align with the continuum on a scale of several arcseconds (hundreds of parsecs). This trend is observed for both Seyfert types. There is no alignment, however, between the small-scale emission-line axis and the overall orientation of the host galaxy. We investigate several explanations for the alignment of the [O III] λ5007 emission with the continuum on small scales, including the possibility that the featureless continuum is extended in Seyfert galaxies. An extended featureless continuum component in Seyfert galaxies might solve several outstanding problems in currently popular unified models.