Is quasar variability regulated by the close environment of accretion?

UV/optical variability in quasars is a well-observed phenomenon, yet its primeval origins remain unclear. This study investigates whether the accretion disk turbulence, which is responsible for UV/optical variability, is influenced by the close environment of the accretion by analyzing the correlati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inarXiv.org
Main Authors Wu, Liang, Jun-Xian, Wang, Wen-Ke, Ren, Wen-Yong, Kang
Format Paper
LanguageEnglish
Published Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 02.08.2024
Subjects
Accretion disks
Correlation
Emission analysis
Infrared analysis
Infrared astronomy
Infrared photometry
Light curve
Luminosity
Near infrared radiation
Quasars
Red shift
Toruses
Turbulence
Variability
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Summary:UV/optical variability in quasars is a well-observed phenomenon, yet its primeval origins remain unclear. This study investigates whether the accretion disk turbulence, which is responsible for UV/optical variability, is influenced by the close environment of the accretion by analyzing the correlation between variability and infrared emission for two luminous SDSS quasar samples. The first sample includes light curves from SDSS, Pan-STARRS, and ZTF \(g\) band photometry, while the second sample utilizes SDSS Stripe 82 \(g\) band light curves. We explore the correlation between the \(g\) band excess variance (\(\sigma_{rms}\)) and the wavelength-dependent infrared covering factor (\(L_{\rm IR}(\lambda)/L_{\rm bol}\)), controlling for the effects of redshift, luminosity, and black hole mass. An anti-correlation between two variables is observed in both samples, which is strongest at wavelengths of 2-3\(\mu\)m but gradually weakens towards longer wavelength. This suggests the equatorial dusty torus (which dominates near-infrared emission) plays a significant role in influencing the UV/optical variability, while the cooler polar dust (which contributes significantly to mid-infrared emission) does not. The findings indicate that quasar variability may be connected to the physical conditions within the dusty torus which feeds the accretion, and support the notion that the close environment of the accretion plays an important role in regulating the accretion disk turbulence.
ISSN:2331-8422