Mid-Infrared Variability of AGN

Details Mid-Infrared Variability of AGN Mid-Infrared Variability of AGN

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007sptz.prop40053r&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #40053

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Scientific paper

Several issues dealing with the nature of flux variations of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the thermal infrared remain unresolved after decades of investigation. Resolving the existing ambiguities will yield invaluable information concerning the physical processes important in these objects and the size of the region responsible for the IR continuum. Two sources of emission can dominate in the mid-infrared and provide a large fraction of the bolometric luminosity of AGN: (1) Synchrotron light is important for radio-loud AGN, and is generally observed to be highly variable at other wavelengths. (2) Thermal radiation from warm dust close to the central engine produces an enormous IR signature in many AGN and is likely to be dominant for radio-quiet AGN. We propose to re-observe a large sample of AGN of various types that have been measured at 24 microns by Spitzer during earlier observing cycles to identify variable objects. The stability of the well-characterized MIPS 24-micron channel, allow for the detection of <2-3% variations in the flux relative to the earlier MIPS measurements over a time scale 1-4 yr. Detection of flux variations at 24 microns identify nonthermal sources of IR emission given that changes in thermal emission sources occur over much longer time scales. Sizable radio-loud and radio-quiet subsamples are selected for systematic comparison.

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