Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI.: reverberating disk models for NGC 5548

D. Starkey; Keith Horne; M. M. Fausnaugh; B. M. Peterson; M. C. Bentz; C. S. Kochanek; K. D. Denney; R. Edelson; M. R. Goad; G. De Rosa; M. D. Anderson; P. Arévalo; A. J. Barth; C. Bazhaw; G. A. Borman; T. A. Boroson; M. C. Bottorff; W. N. Brandt; A. A. Breeveld; E. M. Cackett; M. T. Carini; K. V. Croxall; D. M. Crenshaw; E. Dalla Bonta; Adriana De Lorenzo-Caceres Rodriguez; M. Dietrich; N. V. Efimova; J. Ely; P. A. Evans; A. V. Filippenko; K. Flatland; N. Gehrels; S. Geier; J. M. Gelbord; L. Gonzalez; V. Gorjian; C. J. Grier; D. Grupe; P. B. Hall; S. Hicks; D. Horenstein; T. Hutchison; M. Im; J. J. Jensen; M. D. Joner; J. Jones; J. Kaastra; S. Kaspi; B. C. Kelly; J. A. Kennea; S. C. Kim; M. Kim; S. A. Klimanov; K. T. Korista; G. A. Kriss; J. C. Lee; D. C. Leonard; P. Lira; F. MacInnis; E. R. Manne-Nicholas; S. Mathur; I. M. McHardy; C. Montouri; R. Musso; S. V. Nazarov; R. P. Norris; J. A. Nousek; D. N. Okhmat; A. Pancoast; J. R. Parks; L. Pei; R. W. Pogge; J. -U. Pott; S. E. Rafter; H. W. Rix; D. A. Saylor; J. S. Schimoia; K. Schnulle; S. G. Sergeev; M. H. Siegel; M. Spencer; H. -I. Sung; K. G. Teems; C. S. Turner; P. Uttley; M. Vestergaard; C. Villforth; Y. Weiss; J. -H. Woo; H. Yan; S. Young; W. Zheng; Y. Zu

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65

Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI. reverberating disk models for NGC 5548

D. Starkey, Keith Horne, M. M. Fausnaugh, B. M. Peterson, M. C. Bentz, C. S. Kochanek, K. D. Denney, R. Edelson, M. R. Goad, G. De Rosa, M. D. Anderson, P. Arévalo, A. J. Barth, C. Bazhaw, G. A. Borman, T. A. Boroson, M. C. Bottorff, W. N. Brandt, A. A. Breeveld, E. M. CackettM. T. Carini, K. V. Croxall, D. M. Crenshaw, E. Dalla Bonta, Adriana De Lorenzo-Caceres Rodriguez, M. Dietrich, N. V. Efimova, J. Ely, P. A. Evans, A. V. Filippenko, K. Flatland, N. Gehrels, S. Geier, J. M. Gelbord, L. Gonzalez, V. Gorjian, C. J. Grier, D. Grupe, P. B. Hall, S. Hicks, D. Horenstein, T. Hutchison, M. Im, J. J. Jensen, M. D. Joner, J. Jones, J. Kaastra, S. Kaspi, B. C. Kelly, J. A. Kennea, S. C. Kim, M. Kim, S. A. Klimanov, K. T. Korista, G. A. Kriss, J. C. Lee, D. C. Leonard, P. Lira, F. MacInnis, E. R. Manne-Nicholas, S. Mathur, I. M. McHardy, C. Montouri, R. Musso, S. V. Nazarov, R. P. Norris, J. A. Nousek, D. N. Okhmat, A. Pancoast, J. R. Parks, L. Pei, R. W. Pogge, J. -U. Pott, S. E. Rafter, H. W. Rix, D. A. Saylor, J. S. Schimoia, K. Schnulle, S. G. Sergeev, M. H. Siegel, M. Spencer, H. -I. Sung, K. G. Teems, C. S. Turner, P. Uttley, M. Vestergaard, C. Villforth, Y. Weiss, J. -H. Woo, H. Yan, S. Young, W. Zheng, Y. Zu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We conduct a multiwavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 Å to 9157 Å) combine simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014 January to July. Light-curve variability is interpreted as the reverberation response of the accretion disk to irradiation by a central time-varying point source. Our model yields the disk inclination i = 36° ± 10°, temperature T₁ =(44 ± 6) x 10³ K at 1 light day from the black hole, and a temperature–radius slope (T α r^-α) of α = 0.99 ± 0.03. We also infer the driving light curve and find that it correlates poorly with both the hard and soft X-ray light curves, suggesting that the X-rays alone may not drive the ultraviolet and optical variability over the observing period. We also decompose the light curves into bright, faint, and mean accretion-disk spectra. These spectra lie below that expected for a standard blackbody accretion disk accreting at L/L_Edd=0.1.

Original language	English
Article number	65
Number of pages	15
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	835
Issue number	1
Early online date	18 Jan 2017
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65
Publication status	Published - 20 Jan 2017

Keywords

Accretion
Accretion disks
Galaxies: active
Galaxies: individual (NGC 5548)
Galaxies: nuclei
Galaxies: Seyfert

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10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65

Starkey_2017_Space_APJ_AAM
© 2017, American Astronomical Society. This work has been made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at iopscience.iop.org / http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65
Accepted author manuscript, 2.47 MB

Astrophysics at St Andrews:2012 - 2014: Astrophysics at St Andrews: 2012 - 2014
Horne, K. D. (PI)
Science & Technology Facilities Council
1/10/11 → 31/03/12
Project: Standard

Keith Douglas Horne
- kdh1st-andrews.acuk
- School of Physics and Astronomy - Emeritus Professor
- St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science
Person: Emeritus Professor

Cite this

Starkey, D., Horne, K., Fausnaugh, M. M., Peterson, B. M., Bentz, M. C., Kochanek, C. S., Denney, K. D., Edelson, R., Goad, M. R., Rosa, G. D., Anderson, M. D., Arévalo, P., Barth, A. J., Bazhaw, C., Borman, G. A., Boroson, T. A., Bottorff, M. C., Brandt, W. N., Breeveld, A. A., ... Zu, Y. (2017). Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI. reverberating disk models for NGC 5548. Astrophysical Journal, 835(1), Article 65. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65

@article{648dbe6c707b4305a3260c9070284fe0,

title = "Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI.: reverberating disk models for NGC 5548",

abstract = "We conduct a multiwavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 {\AA} to 9157 {\AA}) combine simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014 January to July. Light-curve variability is interpreted as the reverberation response of the accretion disk to irradiation by a central time-varying point source. Our model yields the disk inclination i = 36° ± 10°, temperature T1 =(44 ± 6) x 103 K at 1 light day from the black hole, and a temperature–radius slope (T α r-α) of α = 0.99 ± 0.03. We also infer the driving light curve and find that it correlates poorly with both the hard and soft X-ray light curves, suggesting that the X-rays alone may not drive the ultraviolet and optical variability over the observing period. We also decompose the light curves into bright, faint, and mean accretion-disk spectra. These spectra lie below that expected for a standard blackbody accretion disk accreting at L/LEdd=0.1.",

keywords = "Accretion, Accretion disks, Galaxies: active, Galaxies: individual (NGC 5548), Galaxies: nuclei, Galaxies: Seyfert",

author = "D. Starkey and Keith Horne and Fausnaugh, {M. M.} and Peterson, {B. M.} and Bentz, {M. C.} and Kochanek, {C. S.} and Denney, {K. D.} and R. Edelson and Goad, {M. R.} and Rosa, {G. De} and Anderson, {M. D.} and P. Ar{\'e}valo and Barth, {A. J.} and C. Bazhaw and Borman, {G. A.} and Boroson, {T. A.} and Bottorff, {M. C.} and Brandt, {W. N.} and Breeveld, {A. A.} and Cackett, {E. M.} and Carini, {M. T.} and Croxall, {K. V.} and Crenshaw, {D. M.} and Bonta, {E. Dalla} and {De Lorenzo-Caceres Rodriguez}, Adriana and M. Dietrich and Efimova, {N. V.} and J. Ely and Evans, {P. A.} and Filippenko, {A. V.} and K. Flatland and N. Gehrels and S. Geier and Gelbord, {J. M.} and L. Gonzalez and V. Gorjian and Grier, {C. J.} and D. Grupe and Hall, {P. B.} and S. Hicks and D. Horenstein and T. Hutchison and M. Im and Jensen, {J. J.} and Joner, {M. D.} and J. Jones and J. Kaastra and S. Kaspi and Kelly, {B. C.} and Kennea, {J. A.} and Kim, {S. C.} and M. Kim and Klimanov, {S. A.} and Korista, {K. T.} and Kriss, {G. A.} and Lee, {J. C.} and Leonard, {D. C.} and P. Lira and F. MacInnis and Manne-Nicholas, {E. R.} and S. Mathur and McHardy, {I. M.} and C. Montouri and R. Musso and Nazarov, {S. V.} and Norris, {R. P.} and Nousek, {J. A.} and Okhmat, {D. N.} and A. Pancoast and Parks, {J. R.} and L. Pei and Pogge, {R. W.} and Pott, {J. -U.} and Rafter, {S. E.} and Rix, {H. W.} and Saylor, {D. A.} and Schimoia, {J. S.} and K. Schnulle and Sergeev, {S. G.} and Siegel, {M. H.} and M. Spencer and Sung, {H. -I.} and Teems, {K. G.} and Turner, {C. S.} and P. Uttley and M. Vestergaard and C. Villforth and Y. Weiss and Woo, {J. -H.} and H. Yan and S. Young and W. Zheng and Y. Zu",

note = "D.A.S. and K.D.H. acknowledge support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council through grant ST/K502339/1 and ST/J001651/1.",

year = "2017",

month = jan,

day = "20",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65",

language = "English",

volume = "835",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "1",

}

Starkey, D, Horne, K, Fausnaugh, MM, Peterson, BM, Bentz, MC, Kochanek, CS, Denney, KD, Edelson, R, Goad, MR, Rosa, GD, Anderson, MD, Arévalo, P, Barth, AJ, Bazhaw, C, Borman, GA, Boroson, TA, Bottorff, MC, Brandt, WN, Breeveld, AA, Cackett, EM, Carini, MT, Croxall, KV, Crenshaw, DM, Bonta, ED, De Lorenzo-Caceres Rodriguez, A, Dietrich, M, Efimova, NV, Ely, J, Evans, PA, Filippenko, AV, Flatland, K, Gehrels, N, Geier, S, Gelbord, JM, Gonzalez, L, Gorjian, V, Grier, CJ, Grupe, D, Hall, PB, Hicks, S, Horenstein, D, Hutchison, T, Im, M, Jensen, JJ, Joner, MD, Jones, J, Kaastra, J, Kaspi, S, Kelly, BC, Kennea, JA, Kim, SC, Kim, M, Klimanov, SA, Korista, KT, Kriss, GA, Lee, JC, Leonard, DC, Lira, P, MacInnis, F, Manne-Nicholas, ER, Mathur, S, McHardy, IM, Montouri, C, Musso, R, Nazarov, SV, Norris, RP, Nousek, JA, Okhmat, DN, Pancoast, A, Parks, JR, Pei, L, Pogge, RW, Pott, J-U, Rafter, SE, Rix, HW, Saylor, DA, Schimoia, JS, Schnulle, K, Sergeev, SG, Siegel, MH, Spencer, M, Sung, H-I, Teems, KG, Turner, CS, Uttley, P, Vestergaard, M, Villforth, C, Weiss, Y, Woo, J-H, Yan, H, Young, S, Zheng, W & Zu, Y 2017, 'Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI. reverberating disk models for NGC 5548', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 835, no. 1, 65. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65

TY - JOUR

T1 - Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI.

T2 - reverberating disk models for NGC 5548

AU - Starkey, D.

AU - Horne, Keith

AU - Fausnaugh, M. M.

AU - Peterson, B. M.

AU - Bentz, M. C.

AU - Kochanek, C. S.

AU - Denney, K. D.

AU - Edelson, R.

AU - Goad, M. R.

AU - Rosa, G. De

AU - Anderson, M. D.

AU - Arévalo, P.

AU - Barth, A. J.

AU - Bazhaw, C.

AU - Borman, G. A.

AU - Boroson, T. A.

AU - Bottorff, M. C.

AU - Brandt, W. N.

AU - Breeveld, A. A.

AU - Cackett, E. M.

AU - Carini, M. T.

AU - Croxall, K. V.

AU - Crenshaw, D. M.

AU - Bonta, E. Dalla

AU - De Lorenzo-Caceres Rodriguez, Adriana

AU - Dietrich, M.

AU - Efimova, N. V.

AU - Ely, J.

AU - Evans, P. A.

AU - Filippenko, A. V.

AU - Flatland, K.

AU - Gehrels, N.

AU - Geier, S.

AU - Gelbord, J. M.

AU - Gonzalez, L.

AU - Gorjian, V.

AU - Grier, C. J.

AU - Grupe, D.

AU - Hall, P. B.

AU - Hicks, S.

AU - Horenstein, D.

AU - Hutchison, T.

AU - Im, M.

AU - Jensen, J. J.

AU - Joner, M. D.

AU - Jones, J.

AU - Kaastra, J.

AU - Kaspi, S.

AU - Kelly, B. C.

AU - Kennea, J. A.

AU - Kim, S. C.

AU - Kim, M.

AU - Klimanov, S. A.

AU - Korista, K. T.

AU - Kriss, G. A.

AU - Lee, J. C.

AU - Leonard, D. C.

AU - Lira, P.

AU - MacInnis, F.

AU - Manne-Nicholas, E. R.

AU - Mathur, S.

AU - McHardy, I. M.

AU - Montouri, C.

AU - Musso, R.

AU - Nazarov, S. V.

AU - Norris, R. P.

AU - Nousek, J. A.

AU - Okhmat, D. N.

AU - Pancoast, A.

AU - Parks, J. R.

AU - Pei, L.

AU - Pogge, R. W.

AU - Pott, J. -U.

AU - Rafter, S. E.

AU - Rix, H. W.

AU - Saylor, D. A.

AU - Schimoia, J. S.

AU - Schnulle, K.

AU - Sergeev, S. G.

AU - Siegel, M. H.

AU - Spencer, M.

AU - Sung, H. -I.

AU - Teems, K. G.

AU - Turner, C. S.

AU - Uttley, P.

AU - Vestergaard, M.

AU - Villforth, C.

AU - Weiss, Y.

AU - Woo, J. -H.

AU - Yan, H.

AU - Young, S.

AU - Zheng, W.

AU - Zu, Y.

N1 - D.A.S. and K.D.H. acknowledge support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council through grant ST/K502339/1 and ST/J001651/1.

PY - 2017/1/20

Y1 - 2017/1/20

N2 - We conduct a multiwavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 Å to 9157 Å) combine simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014 January to July. Light-curve variability is interpreted as the reverberation response of the accretion disk to irradiation by a central time-varying point source. Our model yields the disk inclination i = 36° ± 10°, temperature T1 =(44 ± 6) x 103 K at 1 light day from the black hole, and a temperature–radius slope (T α r-α) of α = 0.99 ± 0.03. We also infer the driving light curve and find that it correlates poorly with both the hard and soft X-ray light curves, suggesting that the X-rays alone may not drive the ultraviolet and optical variability over the observing period. We also decompose the light curves into bright, faint, and mean accretion-disk spectra. These spectra lie below that expected for a standard blackbody accretion disk accreting at L/LEdd=0.1.

AB - We conduct a multiwavelength continuum variability study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 to investigate the temperature structure of its accretion disk. The 19 overlapping continuum light curves (1158 Å to 9157 Å) combine simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope, Swift, and ground-based observations over a 180 day period from 2014 January to July. Light-curve variability is interpreted as the reverberation response of the accretion disk to irradiation by a central time-varying point source. Our model yields the disk inclination i = 36° ± 10°, temperature T1 =(44 ± 6) x 103 K at 1 light day from the black hole, and a temperature–radius slope (T α r-α) of α = 0.99 ± 0.03. We also infer the driving light curve and find that it correlates poorly with both the hard and soft X-ray light curves, suggesting that the X-rays alone may not drive the ultraviolet and optical variability over the observing period. We also decompose the light curves into bright, faint, and mean accretion-disk spectra. These spectra lie below that expected for a standard blackbody accretion disk accreting at L/LEdd=0.1.

KW - Accretion

KW - Accretion disks

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Galaxies: individual (NGC 5548)

KW - Galaxies: nuclei

KW - Galaxies: Seyfert

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/65

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 835

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1

M1 - 65

ER -

Space Telescope and Optical Reverberation Mapping Project. VI. reverberating disk models for NGC 5548

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Keywords

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Projects

Astrophysics at St Andrews:2012 - 2014: Astrophysics at St Andrews: 2012 - 2014

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Keith Douglas Horne

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