An Accretion Disc Model for Quasar Optical Variability
Some different correlations between optical-UV variability and other quasar properties, such as luminosity, black hole mass and rest-frame wavelength, were dis covered. The positive correlation between optical-UV variability amplitude and black hole mass was first found by Wold et al., and this was confirmed by Wilhite et al. We suggest that the accretion disk model can explain these correlations, provided the optical-UV variability is triggered by the change of accretion rate. The disk tem perature of accretion discs decreases with increasing black hole mass, which leads to systematical spectral shape difference with black hole mass even if the black hole is accreting at the same rate m (m = M/MEdd). The observed positive correlation be tween optical-UV variability and black hole mass can be well reproduced by our model calculations, if the mean accretion rate mo ～ 0.1 with variation of δm ~ 0.4 - 0.5mo. We also found that the observed correlations of optical-UV variability amplitude with luminosity or rest-frame wavelength can be qualitatively explained by this accretion disc model.
accretion accretion discs - quasars general - galaxies photometry
S. Li X. Cao
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, 200030 Shanghai, China
国际会议
The 10th Asian-Pacific Regional International Astronomical Union Meeting(第十届亚洲及太平洋地区天文学大会 APRIM)
昆明
英文
230-231
2008-08-03（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）