The discrete correlation function: a new method for analyzing unevenly sampled variability data
TL;DR: In this article, a method for measuring correlation functions without interpolating in the temporal domain is proposed which provides an assumption-free representation of the correlation measured in the data and allows meaningful error estimates.
Abstract: A method for measuring correlation functions without interpolating in the temporal domain is proposed which provides an assumption-free representation of the correlation measured in the data and allows meaningful error estimates. Physical interpretation of the cross-correlation function of two series believed to be related by a convolution is shown to require knowledge of the input function's fluctuation power spectrum. Application of the method to two systems reveals no correlation for the optical data of Akn 120, but a strong correlation for the UV data of NGC 4151, placing bounds of between 1.2 and 20 light days on the size of the line-emitting region.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors used spectro- photometrically monitored Palomar-Green quasars in order to obtain mea- surements of their emission lines and investigate the relationship between quasar luminosity, central black hole mass, and broad emission-line regions (BLRs) size in AGNs.
Abstract: Correlated variations in the line and continuum emission from active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be used to determine the size and geometry of the broad emission-line regions (BLRs). We have spectro- photometrically monitored a well-de—ned sample of 28 Palomar-Green quasars in order to obtain mea- surements of their BLRs and to investigate the relationships between quasar luminosity, central black hole mass, and BLR size in AGNs. Spectrophotometry was obtained every 1¨4 months for 7.5 yr, yield- ing 20¨70 observing epochs per object. Both the continuum and emission-line —uxes of all of the quasars were observed to change during the duration of the observing program. Seventeen of the 28 objects were observed with adequate sampling independent observing epochs) to search for correlated variations (Z20 between the Balmer emission lines and the continuum —ux. For each of these 17 objects, a signi—cant correlation was observed, with the Balmer-line variations lagging those of the continuum by D100 days (rest frame). Our work increases the available luminosity range for studying the size-mass-luminosity relations in AGNs by 2 orders of magnitude and doubles the number of objects suitable for such studies. Combining our results with comparable published data available for Seyfert 1 galaxies, we —nd the BLR size scales with the rest-frame 5100 luminosity as L0.70B0.03. This determination of the scaling of the Ae size of the BLR as a function of luminosity is signi—cantly diUerent from those previously published and suggests that the eUective ionization parameter in AGNs may be a decreasing function of luminosity. We are also able to constrain, subject to our assumption that gravity dominates the motions of the BLR gas, the scaling relationship between the mass of the central black holes and the luminosity in AGNs. We —nd that the central mass scales with 5100 luminosity as M P L0.5B0.1. This is inconsistent with all Ae AGNs having optical luminosity that is a constant fraction of the Eddington luminosity. Subject headings: galaxies: activequasars: emission linesquasars: general
2,119 citations
TL;DR: The second catalog of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in two years of scientific operation is presented in this article, which includes 1017 γ-ray sources located at high Galactic latitudes (|b| > 10°) that are detected with a test statistic (TS) greater than 25 and associated statistically with AGNs.
Abstract: The second catalog of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) in two years of scientific operation is presented. The second LAT AGN catalog (2LAC) includes 1017 γ-ray sources located at high Galactic latitudes (|b| > 10°) that are detected with a test statistic (TS) greater than 25 and associated statistically with AGNs. However, some of these are affected by analysis issues and some are associated with multiple AGNs. Consequently, we define a Clean Sample which includes 886 AGNs, comprising 395 BL Lacertae objects (BL Lac objects), 310 flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), 157 candidate blazars of unknown type (i.e., with broadband blazar characteristics but with no optical spectral measurement yet), 8 misaligned AGNs, 4 narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1s), 10 AGNs of other types, and 2 starburst galaxies. Where possible, the blazars have been further classified based on their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) as archival radio, optical, and X-ray data permit. While almost all FSRQs have a synchrotron-peak frequency 1015 Hz. The 2LAC represents a significant improvement relative to the first LAT AGN catalog (1LAC), with 52% more associated sources. The full characterization of the newly detected sources will require more broadband data. Various properties, such as γ-ray fluxes and photon power-law spectral indices, redshifts, γ-ray luminosities, variability, and archival radio luminosities and their correlations are presented and discussed for the different blazar classes. The general trends observed in 1LAC are confirmed.
981 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed the "accretion disk plus wind" model for radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGN) and blazars, which is the most appropriate model at present.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract A large collective effort to study the variability of active galactic nuclei (AGN) over the past decade has led to a number of fundamental results on radio-quiet AGN and blazars. In radio-quiet AGN, the ultraviolet (UV) bump in low-luminosity objects is thermal emission from a dense medium, very probably an accretion disk, irradiated by the variable X-ray source. The validity of this model for high-luminosity radio-quiet AGN is unclear because the relevant UV and X-ray observations are lacking. The broad-line gas kinematics appears to be dominated by virialized motions in the gravity field of a black hole, whose mass can be derived from the observed motions. The “accretion disk plus wind” model explains most of the variability (and other) data and appears to be the most appropriate model at present. Future investigations are outlined. In blazars, rapid variability at the highest energies (gamma-rays) implies that the whole continuum is relativistically boosted along the line of sight. The gener...
876 citations
TL;DR: The goal of this paper is to build intuition about what assumptions are implicit in the use of the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and related estimators of periodicity so as to motivate important practical considerations required in its proper application and interpretation.
Abstract: The Lomb-Scargle periodogram is a well-known algorithm for detecting and characterizing periodic signals in unevenly-sampled data. This paper presents a conceptual introduction to the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and important practical considerations for its use. Rather than a rigorous mathematical treatment, the goal of this paper is to build intuition about what assumptions are implicit in the use of the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and related estimators of periodicity, so as to motivate important practical considerations required in its proper application and interpretation.
666 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a model-independent method of assessing the uncertainties in cross-correlation lags determined from the light curves of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) was proposed.
Abstract: We describe a model-independent method of assessing the uncertainties in cross-correlation lags determined from the light curves of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and use this method to investigate the reality of lags between UV and optical continuum variations in well-studied AGNs. Our results confirm the existence of such lags in NGC 7469. We find that the continuum variations at 1825, 4845, and 6962 A follow those at 1315 A by , and days, respectively, based on the centroids of the cross-correlation functions; the error intervals quoted correspond to 68% confidence levels, and each of these lags is greater than zero at no less than 97% confidence. We do not find statistically significant interband continuum lags in NGC 5548, NGC 3783, or Fairall 9. Wavelength-dependent continuum lags may be marginally detected in the case of NGC 4151. However, on the basis of theoretical considerations, wavelength-dependent continuum lags in sources other than NGC 7469 are not expected to have been detectable in previous experiments. We also confirm the existence of a statistically significant lag between X-ray and UV continuum variations in the blazar PKS 2155–304.
543 citations