Echo Hunting: Using Reverberation Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei to Probe Black Hole Growth and Cosmic Expansion

Anthea L. King

Echo Hunting: Using Reverberation Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei to Probe Black Hole Growth and Cosmic Expansion

Anthea L. King

Abstract

Broad line active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been proposed as potential standardisablecandles by Watson et al. (2011), using a technique called reverberation mapping. This thesisinvestigates whether AGN are useful high redshift standard candles and how to optimise thescientific output of the ongoing OzDES reverberation mapping survey.AGN are highly luminous, numerous, and are present over a huge range of cosmic history.Due to this, they can be used to probe unexplored regions in the Universe's expansion historyand help constrain the properties of dark energy. To investigate the usefulness of AGN Iconsider whether a general high-redshift standard candle will be a powerful probe of darkenergy, when compared to other types of planned dark energy measurements.I consider several models of how the dark energy equation of state, w(z), may evolve intime and assess the optimal redshift distribution that a high-redshift standard-candle surveycould take to constrain these models. The more general the form of the dark energy equationof state w(z) being tested, the more useful high-redshift standard candles become.As part of the OzDES spectroscopic survey we are carrying out a large scale reverberationmapping study of ≥500 AGN over five years in the 30 deg² area of the Dark Energy Survey(DES) supernova fields. These AGN have redshifts ranging up to 4 and have apparentAB magnitudes between 16:8 < r < 22:5 mag. The aim of the survey is to measure timelags between fluctuations in AGN continuum and broad emission line fluxes of individual objects, in order to measure black hole masses for a broad range of AGN and constrain the radius-luminosity (R — L) relationship, which makes them viable standard candles. I investigate the expected efficiency of the OzDES reverberation mapping campaign and its possible extensions. We expect to recover lags for ∼35-45% of the AGN. AGN with shorter lags and greater variability are more likely to yield a lag and objects with lags ≲ 6 monthor ∼ 1 year are expected be recovered the most accurately. I show that the baseline OzDESreverberation mapping campaign should produce an unbiased measurement of the radius-luminosity relationship for the emission lines: Hβ, Mgii, and Civ. However, enhancing thebaseline survey by either increasing the spectroscopic cadence, extending the survey season,or improving the accuracy of the emission line flux measurement will significantly improvethe R —L parameter constraints for all lines.For the first two years of OzDES we have observed 989 AGN but in the following threeyears the number of targets we can continue to monitor will be reduced, possibly downto a minimum of 500 AGN. We chose to prioritise quasars that are likely to recover a lagand/or enhance the scientific output of the survey. I quantify the quality of the emissionline flux measurements using the signal-to-noise ratio of the flux measurement, and selectthe year 3 (2015) targets based on this value and their scientific merit. I also performpreliminary reverberation mapping analysis on a select sample of targets but the lag recoverywas unsuccessful.

Originalsprog	Engelsk

Forlag	The Niels Bohr Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen
Antal sider	201
Status	Udgivet - 2015

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@phdthesis{1e2676e6cc084704a0763a55adda70b4,

title = "Echo Hunting: Using Reverberation Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei to Probe Black Hole Growth and Cosmic Expansion ",

abstract = "Broad line active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been proposed as potential standardisablecandles by Watson et al. (2011), using a technique called reverberation mapping. This thesisinvestigates whether AGN are useful high redshift standard candles and how to optimise thescientific output of the ongoing OzDES reverberation mapping survey.AGN are highly luminous, numerous, and are present over a huge range of cosmic history.Due to this, they can be used to probe unexplored regions in the Universe's expansion historyand help constrain the properties of dark energy. To investigate the usefulness of AGN Iconsider whether a general high-redshift standard candle will be a powerful probe of darkenergy, when compared to other types of planned dark energy measurements.I consider several models of how the dark energy equation of state, w(z), may evolve intime and assess the optimal redshift distribution that a high-redshift standard-candle surveycould take to constrain these models. The more general the form of the dark energy equationof state w(z) being tested, the more useful high-redshift standard candles become.As part of the OzDES spectroscopic survey we are carrying out a large scale reverberationmapping study of ≥500 AGN over five years in the 30 deg2 area of the Dark Energy Survey(DES) supernova fields. These AGN have redshifts ranging up to 4 and have apparentAB magnitudes between 16:8 < r < 22:5 mag. The aim of the survey is to measure timelags between fluctuations in AGN continuum and broad emission line fluxes of individual objects, in order to measure black hole masses for a broad range of AGN and constrain the radius-luminosity (R — L) relationship, which makes them viable standard candles. I investigate the expected efficiency of the OzDES reverberation mapping campaign and its possible extensions. We expect to recover lags for ∼35-45% of the AGN. AGN with shorter lags and greater variability are more likely to yield a lag and objects with lags ≲ 6 monthor ∼ 1 year are expected be recovered the most accurately. I show that the baseline OzDESreverberation mapping campaign should produce an unbiased measurement of the radius-luminosity relationship for the emission lines: Hβ, Mgii, and Civ. However, enhancing thebaseline survey by either increasing the spectroscopic cadence, extending the survey season,or improving the accuracy of the emission line flux measurement will significantly improvethe R —L parameter constraints for all lines.For the first two years of OzDES we have observed 989 AGN but in the following threeyears the number of targets we can continue to monitor will be reduced, possibly downto a minimum of 500 AGN. We chose to prioritise quasars that are likely to recover a lagand/or enhance the scientific output of the survey. I quantify the quality of the emissionline flux measurements using the signal-to-noise ratio of the flux measurement, and selectthe year 3 (2015) targets based on this value and their scientific merit. I also performpreliminary reverberation mapping analysis on a select sample of targets but the lag recoverywas unsuccessful.",

author = "King, {Anthea L.}",

year = "2015",

language = "English",

publisher = "The Niels Bohr Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen",

}

TY - BOOK

T1 - Echo Hunting

T2 - Using Reverberation Mapping of Active Galactic Nuclei to Probe Black Hole Growth and Cosmic Expansion

AU - King, Anthea L.

PY - 2015

Y1 - 2015

N2 - Broad line active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been proposed as potential standardisablecandles by Watson et al. (2011), using a technique called reverberation mapping. This thesisinvestigates whether AGN are useful high redshift standard candles and how to optimise thescientific output of the ongoing OzDES reverberation mapping survey.AGN are highly luminous, numerous, and are present over a huge range of cosmic history.Due to this, they can be used to probe unexplored regions in the Universe's expansion historyand help constrain the properties of dark energy. To investigate the usefulness of AGN Iconsider whether a general high-redshift standard candle will be a powerful probe of darkenergy, when compared to other types of planned dark energy measurements.I consider several models of how the dark energy equation of state, w(z), may evolve intime and assess the optimal redshift distribution that a high-redshift standard-candle surveycould take to constrain these models. The more general the form of the dark energy equationof state w(z) being tested, the more useful high-redshift standard candles become.As part of the OzDES spectroscopic survey we are carrying out a large scale reverberationmapping study of ≥500 AGN over five years in the 30 deg2 area of the Dark Energy Survey(DES) supernova fields. These AGN have redshifts ranging up to 4 and have apparentAB magnitudes between 16:8 < r < 22:5 mag. The aim of the survey is to measure timelags between fluctuations in AGN continuum and broad emission line fluxes of individual objects, in order to measure black hole masses for a broad range of AGN and constrain the radius-luminosity (R — L) relationship, which makes them viable standard candles. I investigate the expected efficiency of the OzDES reverberation mapping campaign and its possible extensions. We expect to recover lags for ∼35-45% of the AGN. AGN with shorter lags and greater variability are more likely to yield a lag and objects with lags ≲ 6 monthor ∼ 1 year are expected be recovered the most accurately. I show that the baseline OzDESreverberation mapping campaign should produce an unbiased measurement of the radius-luminosity relationship for the emission lines: Hβ, Mgii, and Civ. However, enhancing thebaseline survey by either increasing the spectroscopic cadence, extending the survey season,or improving the accuracy of the emission line flux measurement will significantly improvethe R —L parameter constraints for all lines.For the first two years of OzDES we have observed 989 AGN but in the following threeyears the number of targets we can continue to monitor will be reduced, possibly downto a minimum of 500 AGN. We chose to prioritise quasars that are likely to recover a lagand/or enhance the scientific output of the survey. I quantify the quality of the emissionline flux measurements using the signal-to-noise ratio of the flux measurement, and selectthe year 3 (2015) targets based on this value and their scientific merit. I also performpreliminary reverberation mapping analysis on a select sample of targets but the lag recoverywas unsuccessful.

AB - Broad line active galactic nuclei (AGN) have been proposed as potential standardisablecandles by Watson et al. (2011), using a technique called reverberation mapping. This thesisinvestigates whether AGN are useful high redshift standard candles and how to optimise thescientific output of the ongoing OzDES reverberation mapping survey.AGN are highly luminous, numerous, and are present over a huge range of cosmic history.Due to this, they can be used to probe unexplored regions in the Universe's expansion historyand help constrain the properties of dark energy. To investigate the usefulness of AGN Iconsider whether a general high-redshift standard candle will be a powerful probe of darkenergy, when compared to other types of planned dark energy measurements.I consider several models of how the dark energy equation of state, w(z), may evolve intime and assess the optimal redshift distribution that a high-redshift standard-candle surveycould take to constrain these models. The more general the form of the dark energy equationof state w(z) being tested, the more useful high-redshift standard candles become.As part of the OzDES spectroscopic survey we are carrying out a large scale reverberationmapping study of ≥500 AGN over five years in the 30 deg2 area of the Dark Energy Survey(DES) supernova fields. These AGN have redshifts ranging up to 4 and have apparentAB magnitudes between 16:8 < r < 22:5 mag. The aim of the survey is to measure timelags between fluctuations in AGN continuum and broad emission line fluxes of individual objects, in order to measure black hole masses for a broad range of AGN and constrain the radius-luminosity (R — L) relationship, which makes them viable standard candles. I investigate the expected efficiency of the OzDES reverberation mapping campaign and its possible extensions. We expect to recover lags for ∼35-45% of the AGN. AGN with shorter lags and greater variability are more likely to yield a lag and objects with lags ≲ 6 monthor ∼ 1 year are expected be recovered the most accurately. I show that the baseline OzDESreverberation mapping campaign should produce an unbiased measurement of the radius-luminosity relationship for the emission lines: Hβ, Mgii, and Civ. However, enhancing thebaseline survey by either increasing the spectroscopic cadence, extending the survey season,or improving the accuracy of the emission line flux measurement will significantly improvethe R —L parameter constraints for all lines.For the first two years of OzDES we have observed 989 AGN but in the following threeyears the number of targets we can continue to monitor will be reduced, possibly downto a minimum of 500 AGN. We chose to prioritise quasars that are likely to recover a lagand/or enhance the scientific output of the survey. I quantify the quality of the emissionline flux measurements using the signal-to-noise ratio of the flux measurement, and selectthe year 3 (2015) targets based on this value and their scientific merit. I also performpreliminary reverberation mapping analysis on a select sample of targets but the lag recoverywas unsuccessful.

UR - https://soeg.kb.dk/permalink/45KBDK_KGL/fbp0ps/alma99122654208505763

M3 - Ph.D. thesis

BT - Echo Hunting

PB - The Niels Bohr Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen

ER -