Spitzer, Kepler, and Ground Based Reverberation Mapping of 3 Active Galactic Nuclei

Details Spitzer, Kepler, and Ground Based Reverberation Mapping of 3 Active Galactic Nuclei Spitzer, Kepler, and Ground Based Reverberation Mapping of 3 Active Galactic Nuclei

May 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011sptz.prop80148g&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #80148

Computer Science

Scientific paper

Near-infrared reverberation measurements have proven to be a valuable tool for mapping the location of hot dust in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Ground-based campaigns have shown that the K-band continuum varies in response to changes in the optical continuum, and measurements of the K-band lag time give the size scale of the hot dust emission region. Reverberation measurements at longer wavelengths can add valuable information on the dust temperature profile in AGNs and the structure of the putative dusty torus, but there have not previously been any definitive measurements of dust reverberation at wavelengths longer than the K band. In our Cycle 7 campaign we proposed to conduct a campaign of high-cadence monitoring observations (1 observation per ~72 hours) of three bright, low-redshift AGNs in order to detect 3.6 micron variability and to measure the reverberation lag time of the 3.6 micron continuum relative to the optical continuum. Four obstacles needed to be overcome to do reverberation mapping at 3.6 microns: 1. Could we obtain long and well sampled 3.6 micron light curves with high precision? 2. Would the monitored AGN show significant optical variation? 3. Would IRAC detect significant variations during the observing window? 4. Finally, would there be correlated variability between the IR and the optical light curves? Based on our first observed source, Zw 229-015, the answer to all those questions is YES! In addition to Zw 229-105 which is also a Kepler monitoring target and so it has become a key AGN for coordinated multi-wavelength monitoring; our sample includes two well-studied and highly variable AGNs, NGC 4051 and Mrk 817. We will conitnue to obtain ground-based optical (V-band) and near-IR (JHK) monitoring data for these AGNs in order to compare the near-IR and 3.6 micron variability with the optical light curves, providing unique new constraints on the dust temperature profiles in these AGNs.

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