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arXiv 1709.05271astro-ph.GAastro-ph.COastro-ph.HE
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类星体的紫外/光学可变性离低频阻尼随机游走有多远?

How far is quasar UV/optical variability from damped random walk at low frequency?

Hengxiao Guo, Junxian Wang, Zhengyi Cai, Mouyuan Sun

摘要:

研究表明,类星体的紫外/光学光变曲线可以用流行的阻尼随机游走(DRW,也称为Ornstein-Uhlenbeck过程)模型来描述。白噪声功率谱密度(PSD)预计在该模式中的低频,然而,直接观测约束的低频PSD斜率是困难的,由于有限的长度的光变曲线。同时,类星体的DRW参数表现出太大的分散性,不能归因于测量的不确定性和变化对已知物理因素的依赖性。在这项工作中,我们提出的模拟表明,如果低频PSD偏离DRW,红噪声泄漏可以自然地产生大的散射从模拟光变曲线测量的变化参数。低频PSD斜率越陡,我们预期的散射越大。根据SDSS条纹82类星体的观测结果,我们发现低频PSD斜率不应大于-1.3。实际的斜率可能更平坦,这就要求类星体的变化应该受到其他未知因素的影响。我们推测,磁场和/或金属丰度可能是这样的额外因素。

英文摘要:

Studies have shown that UV/optical light curves of quasars can be described with the prevalent damped random walk (DRW, also known as Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process) model. A white noise power spectral density (PSD) is expected at low frequency in this model, however, direct observational constraint to the low frequency PSD slope is hard due to limited lengths of the light curves available. Meanwhile, quasars show too large scatter in their DRW parameters to be attributed to the uncertainties in the measurements and the dependence of variation to known physical factors. In this work we present simulations showing that, if the low frequency PSD deviates from DRW, the red noise leakage can naturally produce large scatter in variation parameters measured from simulated light curves. The steeper the low frequency PSD slope is, the larger scatter we expect. Based on the observations of SDSS Stripe 82 quasars, we find the low frequency PSD slope should be no steeper than -1.3. The actual slope could be flatter, which consequently requires that quasar variabilities should be influenced by other unknown factors. We speculate that magnetic field and/or metallicity could be such additional factors.

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