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Related papers: A model for AGN variability on multiple timescales

200 papers

We measure the optical variability in $\sim$ 16500 low-redshift (z $\sim$ 0.1) galaxies to map the relations between AGN activity and galaxy stellar mass, specific star-formation rate, half-light radius and bulge-to-total ratio. To do this,…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2022-08-17 Cressida Cleland , Sean L. McGee

We investigate the properties of a variability-selected complete sample of AGN in order to identify the mechanisms which cause large amplitude X-ray variability on time scales of years. A complete sample of 24 sources was constructed, from…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2016-08-09 N. L. Strotjohann , R. D. Saxton , R. L. C. Starling , P. Esquej , A. M. Read , P. A. Evans , G. Miniutti

Multiwavelength variability data, combined with spectral-timing analysis techniques, provides information about the causal relationship between different physical components in accreting black holes. Using fast-timing data and long-term…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2015-01-12 Phil Uttley , Piergiorgio Casella

Accreting supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies are the engine of active galactic nuclei (AGN). X-ray light curves of unabsorbed AGN show dramatic random variability on timescales ranging from seconds to years. The power…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2025-10-29 Mehdy Lefkir , Simon Vaughan , Mike Goad , Daniela Huppenkothen , Phil Uttley

We propose that changing-look AGN transitions arise from variations in the size of the inner ADAF disk. The AGN accretion disk consists of an outer thin disk and an inner thick ADAF component, whose size is intrinsically unstable and…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2026-05-19 Chun Xu

Radiation from the blazar class of of active galactic nuclei (AGN) exhibits fast time variability which is usually ascribed to instabilities in the emission region near the central supermassive black hole. The variability time scale is…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2015-06-16 Kenji Nakagawa , Masaki Mori

We derive the black hole mass density as a function of redshift with the bolometric luminosity function of AGN assuming that massive black holes grew via accreting the circumnuclear gases, in which the derived black hole mass density is…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2015-05-18 Ya-Di Xu , Xinwu Cao

During the last decade, wide-angle powerful outflows from AGN, both on parsec and kpc scales, have been detected in many galaxies. These outflows are widely suspected to be responsible for sweeping galaxies clear of their gas. We present…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2012-01-18 Kastytis Zubovas , Andrew King

We present a comprehensive analysis of 21 light curves of Type 1 AGN from the Kepler spacecraft. First, we describe the necessity and development of a customized pipeline for treating Kepler data of stochastically variable sources like AGN.…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2018-06-27 Krista Lynne Smith , Richard F. Mushotzky , Patricia T. Boyd , Matt Malkan , Steve B. Howell , Dawn M. Gelino

Context: Variations in the mass accretion rate appear to be responsible for the rapid transitions in spectral type that are observed in increasingly more active galactic nuclei (AGNs). These objects are now labeled "changing-look" AGNs and…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2020-04-15 F. Marin , D. Hutsemékers

The variability of active galactic nuclei (AGN) has long held the promise of shedding light on their detailed structure, and possibly other astrophysical phenonema. Different emission mechanisms lead to different patterns of variability in…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-11-07 M. R. S. Hawkins

We examine the relationship between galaxies, supermassive black holes and AGN using a sample of 22,000 narrow-emission-line AGN drawn from a a sample of 122,000 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We have studied how AGN host…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-11-10 Guinevere Kauffmann , Timothy Heckman

X-ray emission arising from active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity may potentially mimic the expected emission of tidal disruption events (TDEs). Ongoing and upcoming wide-field X-ray surveys will detect thousands of TDE-like sources, and…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2025-10-14 Samaresh Mondal , K. Decker French

We present the results from a study of ~9,600 Broad-Line selected AGN with host galaxies detected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 17 (SDSS DR17). We compute ensemble variability statistics based on the comparison of the…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2024-05-24 Krittapas Chanchaiworawit , Vicki Sarajedini

Optical variability is a key observational probe for studying the accretion dynamics and central engine physics of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). The quality and completeness of light curves have a direct impact on variability studies,…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2025-10-31 Jiaqi Lin , Zhen-Ya Zheng , Bin Ma , Lin Long , Yangfan Xie , Pu Lin , Ruqiu Lin , Xiang Ji

Physical models of X-ray binary outbursts can aid in understanding the origin of 'changing-look' active galactic nuclei (AGN), if we can establish that these two black hole accretion phenomena are analogous. Previously, studies of the…

We characterize the optical variability of quasars in the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory (iPTF) and Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) surveys. We re-calibrate the $r$-band light curves for $\sim$28,000 luminous, broad-line AGNs from…

Astrophysics of Galaxies · Physics 2017-01-18 Neven Caplar , Simon J. Lilly , Benny Trakhtenbrot

X-ray observations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) show variability on timescales ranging from a few hours up to a few days. Some of this variability may be associated with occultation events by clouds in the broad line region. In this…

High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena · Physics 2018-08-08 E. S. Kammoun , F. Marin , M. Dovciak , E. Nardini , G. Risaliti , M. Sanfrutos

As a class, LINERs and Low-Luminosity AGN tend to show little or no significant short-term variability (i.e., with time-scales less than a day). This is a marked break for the trend of increased variability in Seyfert 1 galaxies with…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-10-30 A. Ptak , T. Yaqoob , R. Mushotzky , P. Serlemitsos , R. Griffiths

We use the observed distribution of Eddington ratios as a function of supermassive black hole (BH) mass to constrain models of AGN lifetimes and lightcurves. Given the observed AGN luminosity function, a model for AGN lifetimes (time above…

Astrophysics · Physics 2009-09-11 Philip F. Hopkins , Lars Hernquist