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| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Language: | en |
| Published: |
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
2008
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| Online Access: | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57103205 |
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Table of Contents:
- Quasar Optical Variability and Black Hole Mass M. Wold M. S. Brotherton Z. Shang Física, Astronomía y Matemáticas Quasars: general In order to investigate the dependence of quasar optical-UV variability on fundamental physical parameterslike black hole mass, we have matched quasars from the QUEST1 variability survey with broad-lined objectsfrom the SDSS. Black hole masses and bolometric luminosities are estimated from Sloan spectra, and variabilityamplitudes from the QUEST1 light curves. Long-term variability amplitudes (rest-frame time scales 0.5-2 yrs) are found to correlate with black hole mass at the 99% significance level or better. This means that quasars with larger black hole masses have larger percentage ux variations. Partial rank correlation analysis showsthat the correlation cannot be explained by obvious selection effects inherent to flux-limited samples. Wediscuss whether the correlation is a manifestation of a relation between BH mass and accretion disk thermaltime scales, or if it is due to changes in the optical depth of the accretion disk with black hole mass. Perhaps the most likely explanation is that the more massive black holes are starving, and produce larger flux variations because they do not have a steady inflow of gaseous fuel. 2008 artículo científico 0185-1101 https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=57103205 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=571 Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica application/pdf Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica (México) Vol.32