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arXiv 1310.0874astro-ph.CO
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在SDSS 82带中寻找2型类星体的光变

A Search for Optical Variability of Type 2 Quasars in SDSS Stripe 82

A. J. Barth, A. Voevodkin, D. J. Carson, P. Woźniak

摘要:

在斯隆数字巡天(SDSS)的数据中已经识别了数百个2型类星体,并且有大量证据表明它们通常是具有高度模糊的中央引擎的星系,与活动星系核(AGN)的统一模型一致。对统一模型的一个直接的期望是,高度模糊的2型活动星系核在几天到几年的时间尺度上应该表现出很小或没有光学变化。作为这个预测的测试,我们已经进行了搜索的变化在SDSS条纹82型类星体使用差分成像测光。从Zakamska et al.(2003)和Reyes et al.(2008)的2型活动星系核星表开始,我们发现了173个天体中17个存在显著的g-波段变化的证据,这些天体的光变曲线可以从Stripe 82数据中测量。为了确定这种变化的性质,我们获得了新的凯克分光偏振观测这些变量AGN。凯克的数据显示,这些天体都有低的连续极化(在大多数情况下p<~1%),并且在它们的总(非极化)光谱中都有宽的H-α和/或MgII发射线,这表明它们实际上应该被归类为1型活动星系核。我们的结论是,在SDSS选择的2型活动星系核样本中发现的主要原因是,这些样本包含一小部分的1型活动星系核作为污染物,它是没有必要调用更奇异的可能的解释,如人口的“裸”或未遮蔽的2型类星体。除了被错误分类的1型物体外,2型类星体在Stripe 82调查期间通常不会显示出可检测的光学变化。

英文摘要:

Hundreds of Type 2 quasars have been identified in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data, and there is substantial evidence that they are generally galaxies with highly obscured central engines, in accord with unified models for active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A straightforward expectation of unified models is that highly obscured Type 2 AGNs should show little or no optical variability on timescales of days to years. As a test of this prediction, we have carried out a search for variability in Type 2 quasars in SDSS Stripe 82 using difference-imaging photometry. Starting with the Type 2 AGN catalogs of Zakamska et al. (2003) and Reyes et al. (2008), we find evidence of significant g-band variability in 17 out of 173 objects for which light curves could be measured from the Stripe 82 data. To determine the nature of this variability, we obtained new Keck spectropolarimetry observations for seven of these variable AGNs. The Keck data show that these objects have low continuum polarizations (p<~1% in most cases) and all seven have broad H-alpha and/or MgII emission lines in their total (unpolarized) spectra, indicating that they should actually be classified as Type 1 AGNs. We conclude that the primary reason variability is found in the SDSS-selected Type 2 AGN samples is that these samples contain a small fraction of Type 1 AGNs as contaminants, and it is not necessary to invoke more exotic possible explanations such as a population of "naked" or unobscured Type 2 quasars. Aside from misclassified Type 1 objects, the Type 2 quasars do not generally show detectable optical variability over the duration of the Stripe 82 survey.

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