Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userNon-Blackbody Disks Can Help Explain Inferred AGN Accretion Disk Sizes
121
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
If the atmospheric density $rho_{atm}$ in the accretion disk of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is sufficiently low, scattering in the atmosphere can produce a non-blackbody emergent spectrum. For a given bolometric luminosity, at ultraviolet and optical wavelengths such disks have lower fluxes and apparently larger sizes as compared to disks that emit as blackbodies. We show that models in which $rho_{rm atm}$ is a sufficiently low fixed fraction of the interior density $rho$ can match the AGN STORM observations of NGC 5548 but produce disk spectral energy distributions that peak at shorter wavelengths than observed in luminous AGN in general. Thus, scattering atmospheres can contribute to the explanation for large inferred AGN accretion disk sizes but are unlikely to be the only contributor. In the appendix section, we present unified equations for the interior $rho$ and $T$ in gas pressure-dominated regions of a thin accretion disk.
rate research
Read More
Recent multi-band variability studies have revealed that active galactic nucleus (AGN) accretion disc sizes are generally larger than the predictions of the classical thin disc by a factor of $2sim 3$. This hints at some missing key ingredient in the classical thin disc theory: here, we propose an accretion disc wind. For a given bolometric luminosity, in the outer part of an accretion disc, the effective temperature in the wind case is higher than that in the no-wind one; meanwhile, the radial temperature profile of the wind case is shallower than the no-wind one. In presence of winds, for a given band, blackbody emission from large radii can contribute more to the observed luminosity than the no-wind case. Therefore, the disc sizes of the wind case can be larger than those of the no-wind case. We demonstrate that a model with the accretion rate scaling as $dot{M}_0 (R/R_{mathrm{S}})^{beta}$ (i.e., the accretion rate declines with decreasing radius due to winds) can match both the inter-band time lags and the spectral energy distribution of NGC 5548. Our model can also explain the inter-band time lags of other sources. Therefore, our model can help decipher current and future continuum reverberation mapping observations.
We present the accretion disk size estimates for a sample of 19 active galactic nuclei (AGN) using the optical $g$, $r$, and $i$ band light curves obtained from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) survey. All the AGN have reliable supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass estimates based on previous reverberation mapping measurements. The multi-band light curves are cross-correlated, and the reverberation lag is estimated using the Interpolated Cross-Correlation Function (ICCF) method and the Bayesian method using the {sc javelin} code. As expected from the disk reprocessing arguments, the $g-r$ band lags are shorter than the $g-i$ band lags for this sample. The interband lags for all, but 5 sources, are larger than the sizes predicted from the standard Shakura Sunyaev (SS) analytical model. We fit the light curves directly using a thin disk model implemented through the {sc javelin} code to get the accretion disk sizes. The disk sizes obtained using this model are on an average 3.9 times larger than the prediction based on the SS disk model. We find a weak correlation between the disk sizes and the known physical parameters, namely, the luminosity and the SMBH mass. In the near future, a large sample of AGN covering a range of luminosity and SMBH mass from large photometric surveys would be helpful in a better understanding of the structure and physics of the accretion disk.
Rapid, large amplitude variability at optical to X-ray wavelengths is now seen in an increasing number of Seyfert galaxies and luminous quasars. The variations imply a global change in accretion power, but are too rapid to be communicated by inflow through a standard thin accretion disc. Such discs are long known to have difficulty explaining the observed optical/UV emission from active galactic nuclei. Here we show that alternative models developed to explain these observations have larger scale heights and shorter inflow times. Accretion discs supported by magnetic pressure in particular are geometrically thick at all luminosities, with inflow times as short as the observed few year timescales in extreme variability events to date. Future time-resolved, multi-wavelength observations can distinguish between inflow through a geometrically thick disc as proposed here, and alternative scenarios of extreme reprocessing of a central source or instability-driven limit cycles.
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), such as Seyfert galaxies, quasars, etc., show light variations in all wavelength bands, with various amplitude and in many time scales. The variations usually look erratic, not periodic nor purely random. Many of these objects also show lognormal flux distribution and RMS - flux relation and power law frequency distribution. So far, the lognormal flux distribution of black hole objects is only observational facts without satisfactory explanation about the physical mechanism producing such distribution in the accretion disk. One of the most promising models based on cellular automaton mechanism has been successful in reproducing PSD (Power Spectral Density) of the observed objects but could not reproduce lognormal flux distribution. Such distribution requires the existence of underlying multiplicative process while the existing SOC models are based on additive processes. A modified SOC model based on cellular automaton mechanism for producing lognormal flux distribution is presented in this paper. The idea is that the energy released in the avalanche and diffusion in the accretion disk is not entirely emitted instantaneously as in the original cellular automaton model. Some part of the energy is kept in the disk and thus increase its energy content so that the next avalanche will be in higher energy condition and will release more energy. The later an avalanche occurs, the more amount of energy is emitted to the observers. This can provide multiplicative effects to the flux and produces lognormal flux distribution.
An accretion flow onto a supermassive black hole is the primary process powering quasars. However, a geometry of this flow is not well constrained. Both global MHD simulations and observations suggest that there are several emission components present in the nucleus: an accretion disk, hot plasma (corona or sphere) with electrons scattering the optical and UV photons, and an outflow (wind/jet). The relative location and size of these emission components, as well as their interplay affect the emerging quasar spectrum. I review briefly standard accretion disk models and the recent progress, point out discrepancies between the predicted and observed spectra and discuss some issues in fitting these models to the broad-band spectral energy distribution of quasars. I present examples of models fitted simultaneously to the optical-UV-X-ray data and possible constraints on the parameters.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
