Measuring Quasar Accretion Disk Temperature Profiles using Microlensing in Gravitationally Lensed Quasars

Details Measuring Quasar Accretion Disk Temperature Profiles using Microlensing in Gravitationally Lensed Quasars Measuring Quasar Accretion Disk Temperature Profiles using Microlensing in Gravitationally Lensed Quasars

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21532907m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #329.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.427

Physics

Scientific paper

Despite nearly 40 years of work on accretion disk physics, the simple Shakura & Sunyaev (1973) thin disk model remains the industry standard despite many theoretical alternatives and some observational reservations. This slow progress is attributable to the impossibly small angular size of quasar continuum emission regions, whose typical μ as scales are well below the angular resolution limit of conventional telescopes. Microlensing in gravitationally lensed quasar systems provides the first probe capable of actually measuring the physical scales associated with quasar accretion regions. We present microlensing size measurements in 11 lensed quasars and demonstrate that our results favor temperature profiles T ˜ R(-1/2), flatter than the Shakura & Sunyaev model (T ˜ R(-3/4)). We conclude with a discussion of our multi-wavelength lensed quasar monitoring program (SMARTS, USNO, Chandra) and our expectations for future yields, particularly for the sizes of X-ray continuum emission regions.
C.W.M. is supported by NSF award No. AST 0907848 and the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.

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