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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/26435
Title: | Long-term X-Ray Variability of Typical Active Galactic Nuclei in the Distant Universe | Authors: | Yang, G. Brandt, W. N. Luo, B. Xue, Y. Q. Bauer, F. E. Sun, M. Y. Kim, S. Schulze, S. Zheng, X. C. Paolillo, Maurizio Shemmer, O. Liu, T. Schneider, D. P. Vignali, C. Vito, F. Wang, J. -X. |
Issue Date: | 2016 | Journal: | THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL | Number: | 831 | Issue: | 2 | First Page: | 145 | Abstract: | We perform long-term (≈15 years, observed-frame) X-ray variability analyses of the 68 brightest radio-quiet active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the 6 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South survey; the majority are in the redshift range of 0.6-3.1, providing access to penetrating rest-frame X-rays up to ≈10-30 keV. Of the 68 sources, 24 are optical spectral type I AGNs, and the rest (44) are type II AGNs. The timescales probed in this work are among the longest for X-ray variability studies of distant AGNs. Photometric analyses reveal widespread photon flux variability: 90% of AGNs are variable above a 95% confidence level, including many X-ray obscured AGNs and several optically classified type II quasars. We characterize the intrinsic X-ray luminosity ({L}<SUB>{{X</SUB>}}) and absorption ({N}<SUB>{{H</SUB>}}) variability via spectral fitting. Most (74%) sources show {L}<SUB>{{X</SUB>}} variability; the variability amplitudes are generally smaller for quasars. A Compton-thick candidate AGN shows variability of its high-energy X-ray flux, indicating the size of reflecting material to be ≲0.3 pc. {L}<SUB>{{X</SUB>}} variability is also detected in a broad absorption line quasar. The {N}<SUB>{{H</SUB>}} variability amplitude for our sample appears to rise as time separation increases. About 16% of sources show {N}<SUB>{{H</SUB>}} variability. One source transitions from an X-ray unobscured to obscured state, while its optical classification remains type I; this behavior indicates the X-ray eclipsing material is not large enough to obscure the whole broad-line region. | URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/26435 | URL: | https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/145 | ISSN: | 0004-637X | DOI: | 10.3847/0004-637X/831/2/145 | Bibcode ADS: | 2016ApJ...831..145Y | Fulltext: | open |
Appears in Collections: | 1.01 Articoli in rivista |
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Yang_2016_ApJ_831_145.pdf | Pdf editoriale | 1.85 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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