A universal relationship between the variability timescale and black hole mass in black hole jetted and non-jetted accreting systems

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Chen, Yongyun, Gu, Qiusheng, Fan, Junhui, Xiong, Dingrong, Yu, Xiaoling, Zhong, Xiaogu, Guo, Xiaotong
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Chen, Yongyun
Gu, Qiusheng
Fan, Junhui
Xiong, Dingrong
Yu, Xiaoling
Zhong, Xiaogu
Guo, Xiaotong
author_facet Chen, Yongyun
Gu, Qiusheng
Fan, Junhui
Xiong, Dingrong
Yu, Xiaoling
Zhong, Xiaogu
Guo, Xiaotong
contents A long-term variability study spanning a range of black hole mass systems, from microquasars hosting stellar-mass black holes to active galactic nuclei (AGNs) harboring supermassive black holes, provides new insights into the physics of relativistic jets. In this work, we investigate the optical variability of both jetted and nonjetted AGNs. We apply a stochastic process known as the Damped Random Walk (DRW) to model light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) DR23. Our results show that the mass-scaled characteristic timescales across the black hole mass exhibit a linear relationship with a slope of 0.35-0.50. This analysis confirms a previously observed correlation between the damping timescales and black hole mass and extends it by incorporating 125 newly identified non-jetted AGNs selected from the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) AGN catalogue. The derived slope of the relation between the damping timescales and black hole mass aligns with recent theoretical predictions, supporting the presence of a universal accretion mechanism in AGNs across different mass scales. Furthermore, our findings suggest a novel implication: the properties and production mechanisms of relativistic jets may be largely independent of black hole mass.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_15743
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A universal relationship between the variability timescale and black hole mass in black hole jetted and non-jetted accreting systems
Chen, Yongyun
Gu, Qiusheng
Fan, Junhui
Xiong, Dingrong
Yu, Xiaoling
Zhong, Xiaogu
Guo, Xiaotong
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
A long-term variability study spanning a range of black hole mass systems, from microquasars hosting stellar-mass black holes to active galactic nuclei (AGNs) harboring supermassive black holes, provides new insights into the physics of relativistic jets. In this work, we investigate the optical variability of both jetted and nonjetted AGNs. We apply a stochastic process known as the Damped Random Walk (DRW) to model light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) DR23. Our results show that the mass-scaled characteristic timescales across the black hole mass exhibit a linear relationship with a slope of 0.35-0.50. This analysis confirms a previously observed correlation between the damping timescales and black hole mass and extends it by incorporating 125 newly identified non-jetted AGNs selected from the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) AGN catalogue. The derived slope of the relation between the damping timescales and black hole mass aligns with recent theoretical predictions, supporting the presence of a universal accretion mechanism in AGNs across different mass scales. Furthermore, our findings suggest a novel implication: the properties and production mechanisms of relativistic jets may be largely independent of black hole mass.
title A universal relationship between the variability timescale and black hole mass in black hole jetted and non-jetted accreting systems
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.15743