Journal article
Complex variability of Kepler AGN revealed by recurrence analysis
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v 497(3), pp 3418-3439
01 Sep 2020
Abstract
The advent of new time domain surveys and the imminent increase in astronomical data expose the shortcomings of traditional time series analysis (such as power spectra analysis) in characterizing the abundantly varied, complex, and stochastic light curves of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). Recent applications of novel methods from non-linear dynamics have shown promise in characterizing higher modes of variability and time-scales in AGN. Recurrence analysis in particular can provide complementary information about characteristic time-scales revealed by other methods, as well as probe the nature of the underlying physics in these objects. Recurrence analysis was developed to study dynamical trajectories in phase space, which can be constructed from 1D time series such as light curves. We apply the methods of recurrence analysis to two optical light curves of Kepler-monitored AGN. We confirm the detection and period of an optical quasi-periodic oscillation in one AGN, and confirm multiple other time-scales recovered from other methods ranging from 5 to 60 d in both objects. We detect regions in the light curves that deviate from regularity, provide evidence of determinism and non-linearity in the mechanisms underlying one light curve (KIC 9650712), and determine realizations of a linear stochastic process describe the dominant variability in the other light curve (Zwicky 229-015). We discuss possible underlying processes driving the dynamics of the light curves and their diverse classes of variability.
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Details
- Title
- Complex variability of Kepler AGN revealed by recurrence analysis
- Creators
- R. A. Phillipson - Drexel UniversityP. T. Boyd - Goddard Space Flight CenterA. P. Smale - Goddard Space Flight CenterM. S. Vogeley - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, v 497(3), pp 3418-3439
- Publisher
- Oxford Univ Press
- Number of pages
- 22
- Grant note
- NNX16AT15H; 80NSSC19K1291 / National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through the NASA Education Minority University Research Education Project (MUREP) through the NASA Harriett G. Jenkins Graduate Fellowship activity AmbroseMondell Foundation NASA Science Mission directorate; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Physics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000577137200066
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85096965445
- Other Identifier
- 991019168659904721
InCites Highlights
Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Astronomy & Astrophysics