2017A&A...597A.128K -
Astronomy and Astrophysics, volume 597A, 128-128 (2017/1-1)
Limitations on the recovery of the true AGN variability parameters using damped random walk modeling.
KOZLOWSKI S.
Abstract (from CDS):
Context. The damped random walk (DRW) stochastic process is nowadays frequently used to model aperiodic light curves of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). A number of correlations between the DRW model parameters, the signal decorrelation timescale and amplitude, and the physical AGN parameters, such as the black hole mass or luminosity, have been reported. Aims. We are interested in whether or not it is plausible to correctly measure the DRW parameters from a typical ground-based survey, and, in particular, in how accurate the recovered DRW parameters are compared to the input ones. Methods. By means of Monte Carlo simulations of AGN light curves, we studied the impact of the light curve length, the source magnitude (the photometric properties of a survey), cadence, and additional light (e.g., from a host galaxy) on the DRW model parameters. Results. The most significant finding is that currently existing surveys are going to return unconstrained DRW decorrelation timescales, because typical rest-frame data do not probe long enough timescales or the white noise part of the power spectral density for DRW. The experiment length must be at least ten times longer than the true DRW decorrelation timescale, being presumably in the vicinity of one year, thus meaning the necessity for AGN light curves measuring a minimum of 10 years (rest-frame). The DRW timescales for sufficiently long light curves are typically weakly biased, and the exact bias depends on the fitting method and used priors. The DRW amplitude is mostly affected by the photometric noise (the source magnitude or the signal-to-noise ratio), cadence, and the AGN host light. Conclusions. Because the DRW parameters appear to be incorrectly determined from typically existing data, the reported correlations of the DRW variability and physical AGN parameters from other works seem unlikely to be correct. In particular, the anti-correlation of the DRW decorrelation timescale with redshift is a manifestation of the survey length being too short. Application of DRW to modeling typical AGN optical light curves is questioned.
(Ref) Object type as listed in the reference "Ref"
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Other object types:
gam
(2EG,3EG,...),
G
(2008ApJ,ESO,...),
HS?
(2019A&A),
IR
(IRAS)
Syntax of coordinates is : "ra dec (wtype) [error ellipse] quality bibcode" :
ra dec : right ascension and declination (unit and frame defined according to your Output Options)
Grey values are increasing the original precision due to the computation of frame transformations
(wtype) : wavelength class for the origin of the coordinates (Rad, mm, IR, Optical, UV, Xray, Gam)
[error ellipse] : measurement uncertainty, on (ra,dec) if the positional angle is 90 degrees, on (majaxis,minaxis) otherwise (in mas at defined epoch in the original catalogue),
position angle (in degrees North celestial pole to East)
Syntax of coordinates is : "ra dec (wtype) [error ellipse] quality bibcode" :
ra dec : right ascension and declination (unit and frame defined according to your Output Options)
Grey values are increasing the original precision due to the computation of frame transformations
(wtype) : wavelength class for the origin of the coordinates (Rad, mm, IR, Optical, UV, Xray, Gam)
[error ellipse] : measurement uncertainty, on (ra,dec) if the positional angle is 90 degrees, on (majaxis,minaxis) otherwise (in mas at defined epoch in the original catalogue),
position angle (in degrees North celestial pole to East)
quality : flag of quality
E ≥ 10"
D : 1-10" (and some old data)
C : 0.1-1"
B : 0.01-0.1" + 2MASS, Tyc
A : VLBI, Hipparcos
bibcode : bibcode of the coordinates reference
FK4
coord.
(ep=B1950 eq=1950) :
05 24 00.0 -69 48 00
[
]
Syntax of coordinates is : "ra dec (wtype) [error ellipse] quality bibcode" :
ra dec : right ascension and declination (unit and frame defined according to your Output Options)
Grey values are increasing the original precision due to the computation of frame transformations
(wtype) : wavelength class for the origin of the coordinates (Rad, mm, IR, Optical, UV, Xray, Gam)
[error ellipse] : measurement uncertainty, on (ra,dec) if the positional angle is 90 degrees, on (majaxis,minaxis) otherwise (in mas at defined epoch in the original catalogue),
position angle (in degrees North celestial pole to East)
quality : flag of quality
E ≥ 10"
D : 1-10" (and some old data)
C : 0.1-1"
B : 0.01-0.1" + 2MASS, Tyc
A : VLBI, Hipparcos
bibcode : bibcode of the coordinates reference
Gal
coord.
(ep=J2000) :
280.4652 -32.8884
[
]
Syntax of proper motions is : "pm-ra pm-dec [error ellipse] quality bibcode"
pm-ra : mu-ra*cos(dec) (expressed in the ICRS system in mas/yr)
pm-dec : mu-dec (expressed in the ICRS system in mas/yr)
[error ellipse] : error major axis and minor axis (in mas), orientation angle (in deg)
quality : flag of quality (A=best quality -> E=worst quality, {� } =unknown quality)
Syntax of radial velocity (or/and redshift) is : "value [error] (wavelength) quality bibcode"
value : radial velocity or/and redshift (Heliocentric frame) according to your Output Options
(redshift may be not displayed if the data value is <0 and the database inside value is a radial velocity)
[error] : error of the corresponding value displayed before
(wavelength) : wavelength range of the measurement : Rad, mm, IR, Opt, UV, Xray, Gam or '∼'(unknown)
quality : flag of quality ( A=best quality -> E=worst quality, ∼=unknown quality)
References (17428 between 1850 and 2024) (Total 17428)
Simbad bibliographic survey began in 1850 for stars (at least bright stars) and in 1983 for all other objects (outside the solar system).
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