30 research outputs found
Calibration of AGN Reverberation Distance Measurements
In Yoshii et al. (2014), we described a new method for measuring
extragalactic distances based on dust reverberation in active galactic nuclei
(AGNs), and we validated our new method with Cepheid variable stars. In this
paper, we validate our new method with Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) which
occurred in two of the AGN host galaxies during our AGN monitoring program: SN
2004bd in NGC 3786 and SN 2008ec in NGC 7469. Their multicolor light curves
were observed and analyzed using two widely accepted methods for measuring SN
distances, and the distance moduli derived are for SN
2004bd and for SN 2008ec. These results are used to obtain
independently the distance measurement calibration factor, . The value
obtained from the SN Ia discussed in this paper is
which matches, within the range of 1 uncertainty, , previously calculated ab initio in Yoshii et al. (2014). Having
validated our new method for measuring extragalactic distances, we use our new
method to calibrate reverberation distances derived from variations of H
emission in the AGN broad line region (BLR), extending the Hubble diagram to
where distinguishing between cosmologies is becoming possible.Comment: Astrophysical Journal Letters accepte
The Infrared Cloud Monitor for the MAGNUM Robotic Telescope at Haleakala
We present the most successful infrared cloud monitor for a robotic
telescope. This system was originally developed for the MAGNUM 2-m telescope,
which has been achieving unmanned and automated monitoring observation of
active galactic nuclei at Haleakala on the Hawaiian island of Maui since 2001.
Using a thermal imager and two aspherical mirrors, it at once sees almost the
whole sky at a wavelength of . Its outdoor part is
weather-proof and is totally maintenance-free. The images obtained every one or
two minutes are analysed immediately into several ranks of weather condition,
from which our automated observing system not only decides to open or close the
dome, but also selects what types of observations should be done. The whole-sky
data accumulated over four years show that 5060 % of all nights are
photometric, and about 75 % are observable with respect to cloud condition at
Haleakala. Many copies of this system are now used all over the world such as
Mauna Kea in Hawaii, Atacama in Chile, and Okayama and Kiso in Japan.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in PAS
First Detection of Near-Infrared Intraday Variations in the Seyfert 1 Nucleus NGC4395
We carried out a one-night optical V and near-infrared JHK monitoring
observation of the least luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy, NGC4395, on 2004 May 1, and
detected for the first time the intraday flux variations in the J and H bands,
while such variation was not clearly seen for the K band. The detected J and H
variations are synchronized with the flux variation in the V band, which
indicates that the intraday-variable component of near-infrared continuum
emission of the NGC4395 nucleus is an extension of power-law continuum emission
to the near-infrared and originates in an outer region of the central accretion
disk. On the other hand, from our regular program of long-term optical BVI and
near-infrared JHK monitoring observation of NGC4395 from 2004 February 12 until
2005 January 22, we found large flux variations in all the bands on time scales
of days to months. The optical BVI variations are almost synchronized with each
other, but not completely with the near-infrared JHK variations. The color
temperature of the near-infrared variable component is estimated to be
T=1320-1710 K, in agreement with thermal emission from hot dust tori in active
galactic nuclei (AGNs). We therefore conclude that the near-infrared variation
consists of two components having different time scales, so that a small K-flux
variation on a time scale of a few hours would possibly be veiled by large
variation of thermal dust emission on a time scale of days.Comment: 4 pages including figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
Variation of Inner Radius of Dust Torus in NGC4151
The long-term optical and near infrared monitoring observations for a type 1
act ive galactic nucleus NGC 4151 were carried out for six years from 2001 to
2006 b y using the MAGNUM telescope, and delayed response of flux variations in
the band to those in the band was clearly
detected. Based on cross correlation analysis, we precisely measured a lag time
for eight separate periods, and we found that is not
constant changing be tween 30 and 70 days during the monitoring period. Since
is the ligh t travel time from the central energy source out to the
surrounding dust torus, this is the first convincing evidence that the inner
radius of dust torus did ch ange in an individual AGN. In order to relate such
a change of with a change of AGN luminosity , we presented a
method of taking an average of th e observed -band fluxes that corresponds
to the measured value of , and we found that the time-changing track
of NGC 4151 in the versus diagram during the monitoring period
deviates from the relation of expected from dust
reverberation. This result, combined with t he elapsed time from period to
period for which was measured, indicat es that the timescale of dust
formation is about one year, which should be taken into account as a new
constraint in future studies of dust evolution in AGNs.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, To appear in the ApJ Lette
Reverberation measurements of the inner radius of the dust torus in 17 seyfert galaxies
We present the results of a dust reverberation survey for 17 nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies, which provides the largest homogeneous data collection for the radius of the innermost dust torus. A delayed response of the K-band light curve after the V-band ligh
Reverberation Measurements of the Inner Radius of the Dust Torus in Nearby Seyfert 1 Galaxies
The most intense monitoring observations yet made in the optical (UBV) and
near-infrared (JHK) wave bands were carried out for nearby Seyfert1 galaxies of
NGC 5548, NGC 4051, NGC 3227, and NGC 7469. Over three years of observations
with MAGNUM telescope since early 2001, clear time-delayed response of the
K-band flux variations to the V-band flux variations was detected for all of
these galaxies. Their H-K color temperature was estimated to be 1500-1800 K
from the observed flux variation gradients, which supports a view that the bulk
of the K flux should originate in the thermal radiation of hot dust that
surrounds the central engine. Cross-correlation analysis was performed to
quantify the lag time corresponding to the light-travel distance of the hot
dust region from the central engine. The measured lag time is 47-53 days for
NGC 5548, 11-18 days for NGC 4051, about 20 days for NGC 3227, and 65-87 days
for NGC 7469. We found that the lag time is tightly correlated with the optical
luminosity as expected from dust reverberation (),
while only weakly with the central virial mass, which suggests that an inner
radius of the dust torus around the active nucleus has a one-to-one
correspondence to central luminosity. In the lag time versus central luminosity
diagram, the K-band lag times place an upper boundary on the similar lag times
of broad-emission lines in the literature. This not only supports the unified
scheme of AGNs, but also implies a physical transition from the BLR out to the
dust torus that encircles the BLR. Furthermore, our V-band flux variations of
NGC 5548 on timescales of up to 10 days are found to correlate with X-ray
variations and delay behind them by one or two days, indicating the thermal
reprocessing of X-ray emission by the central accretion flow.Comment: ApJ, March 2006, v639 issue, 24 pages, 33 figures, 10 table
Multiple Regression Analysis of the Variable Component in the Near-Infrared Region for Type 1 AGN MCG+08-11-011
We propose a new method of analysing a variable component for type 1 active
galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the near-infrared wavelength region. This analysis
uses a multiple regression technique and divides the variable component into
two components originating in the accretion disk at the center of AGNs and from
the dust torus that far surrounds the disk. Applying this analysis to the
long-term monitoring data of MCG+08-11-011 that were obtained by the
MAGNUM project, we found that the -color temperature of the dust
component is K K, which agrees with the sublimation
temperature of dust grains, and that the time delay of to variations is
days, which indicates the existence of a radial temperature
gradient in the dust torus. As for the disk component, we found that the
power-law spectrum of in the to near-infrared
bands varies with a fixed index of -- +0.4, which is
broadly consistent with the irradiated standard disk model. The outer part of
the disk therefore extends out to a radial distance where the temperature
decreases to radiate the light in the near-infrared.Comment: 10pages + 5figures, accepted by ApJ
Long-Term Optical Continuum Color Variability of Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei
We examine whether the spectral energy distribution of optical continuum
emission of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) changes during flux variation, based
on accurate and frequent monitoring observations of 11 nearby Seyfert galaxies
and QSOs carried out in the B, V, and I bands for seven years by the MAGNUM
telescope. The multi-epoch flux data in any two different bands obtained on the
same night show a very tight linear flux to flux relationship for all target
AGNs. The flux of the host galaxy within the photometric aperture is carefully
estimated by surface brightness fitting to available high-resolution HST images
and MAGNUM images. The flux of narrow emission lines in the photometric bands
is also estimated from available spectroscopic data. We find that the
non-variable component of the host galaxy plus narrow emission lines for all
target AGNs is located on the fainter extension of the linear regression line
of multi-epoch flux data in the flux to flux diagram. This result strongly
indicates that the spectral shape of AGN continuum emission in the optical
region does not systematically change during flux variation. The trend of
spectral hardening that optical continuum emission becomes bluer as it becomes
brighter, which has been reported by many studies, is therefore interpreted as
the domination of the variable component of the nearly constant spectral shape
of an AGN as it brightens over the non-variable component of the host galaxy
plus narrow lines, which is usually redder than AGN continuum emission.Comment: 47 pages, 29 figures, AASTeX, Accepted for publication in Ap