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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Department
Physics and Astronomy
First Advisor
Edward Cackett
Abstract
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) occur in the centers of galaxies where a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is actively accreting material via an accretion disk. Reverberation mapping is a technique used to measure a size estimate of the accretion disk. Previous studies have found disk sizes ~3x bigger than expected, which may be due to optical interference from another region of the AGN known as the broad line region (BLR). The BLR produces optical emission lines and optical continuum emission similarly to and perhaps in excess to the accretion disk, which would interfere with the premise of accretion disk reverberation mapping. My work seeks to identify where the BLR affects our measurements and determine the dominant source of optical variability in AGN. My first study investigates this through a three-year observation campaign of AGN Mrk 876, where an emission line from the BLR directly interferes with our results. The next study looks at the AGN PG2130+099. Previous studies disagreed with each other as to the size of this object’s continuum emitting region. As lead P.I., I perform a follow-up study with multiple observatories to investigate this unusual AGN and determine what makes it unique. Finally, I analyze over 20 AGN light curves and comparing continuum emitting sizes versus observed luminosity. By combining our work with previous studies, we expand the range of masses and luminosities probed farther than ever before to determine and test to see if optical variability in AGN is influenced more from the BLR or the accretion disk.
Recommended Citation
Miller, Jake Allen, "Understanding The Regions Around Supermassive Black Holes At The Centers Of Galaxies Using The Zowada Observatory" (2024). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4078.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4078