UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335

Erin Kara; Aaron J. Barth; Edward M. Cackett; Jonathan Gelbord; John Montano; Yan Rong Li; Lisabeth Santana; Keith Horne; William N. Alston; Douglas Buisson; Doron Chelouche; Pu Du; Andrew C. Fabian; Carina Fian; Luigi Gallo; Michael R. Goad; Dirk Grupe; Diego H. González Buitrago; Juan V. Hernández Santisteban; Shai Kaspi; Chen Hu; S. Komossa; Gerard A. Kriss; Collin Lewin; Tiffany Lewis; Michael Loewenstein; Anne Lohfink; Megan Masterson; Ian M. McHardy; Missagh Mehdipour; Jake Miller; Christos Panagiotou; Michael L. Parker; Ciro Pinto; Ron Remillard; Christopher Reynolds; Daniele Rogantini; Jian Min Wang; Jingyi Wang; Dan Wilkins

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3

UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335

Erin Kara, Aaron J. Barth, Edward M. Cackett, Jonathan Gelbord, John Montano, Yan Rong Li, Lisabeth Santana, Keith Horne, William N. Alston, Douglas Buisson, Doron Chelouche, Pu Du, Andrew C. Fabian, Carina Fian, Luigi Gallo, Michael R. Goad, Dirk Grupe, Diego H. González Buitrago, Juan V. Hernández Santisteban, Shai KaspiChen Hu, S. Komossa, Gerard A. Kriss, Collin Lewin, Tiffany Lewis, Michael Loewenstein, Anne Lohfink, Megan Masterson, Ian M. McHardy, Missagh Mehdipour, Jake Miller, Christos Panagiotou, Michael L. Parker, Ciro Pinto, Ron Remillard, Christopher Reynolds, Daniele Rogantini, Jian Min Wang, Jingyi Wang, Dan Wilkins

Department of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We present the first results from a 100-day Swift, NICER, and ground-based X-ray-UV-optical reverberation mapping campaign of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Mrk 335, when it was in an unprecedented low X-ray flux state. Despite dramatic suppression of the X-ray variability, we still observe UV-optical lags as expected from disk reverberation. Moreover, the UV-optical lags are consistent with archival observations when the X-ray luminosity was >10 times higher. Interestingly, both low- and high-flux states reveal UV-optical lags that are 6-11 times longer than expected from a thin disk. These long lags are often interpreted as due to contamination from the broad line region; however the u-band excess lag (containing the Balmer jump from the diffuse continuum) is less prevalent than in other active galactic nuclei. The Swift campaign showed a low X-ray-to-optical correlation (similar to previous campaigns), but NICER and ground-based monitoring continued for another 2 weeks, during which the optical rose to the highest level of the campaign, followed ∼10 days later by a sharp rise in X-rays. While the low X-ray countrate and relatively large systematic uncertainties in the NICER background make this measurement challenging, if the optical does lead X-rays in this flare, this indicates a departure from the zeroth-order reprocessing picture. If the optical flare is due to an increase in mass accretion rate, this occurs on much shorter than the viscous timescale. Alternatively, the optical could be responding to an intrinsic rise in X-rays that is initially hidden from our line of sight.

Original language	English
Article number	62
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	947
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3
State	Published - 1 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Some of the data used in this paper were acquired with the RATIR instrument, funded by the University of California and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the 1.5 m Harold L. Johnson telescope at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional on the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, operated and maintained by the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional and the Instituto de Astronomía of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Operations are partially funded by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (DGAPA/PAPIIT IG100414, IT102715, AG100317, IN109418, IG100820, and IN105921). We acknowledge the contribution of Leonid Georgiev and Neil Gehrels to the development of RATIR.

Funding Information:
E.K. acknowledges support from NASA grants 80NSSC20K0470 and 80NSSC20K0372, and is supported by the Sagol Weizmann-MIT Bridge Program. Research at the University of California Irvine was supported by NSF grant AST-1907290. E.M.C. gratefully acknowledges support from the NSF through grant AST-1909199. Y.R.L. acknowledges financial support from the NSFC through grant Nos. 11922304 and 12273041 and from the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS. P.D. acknowledges support from NSFC grants 12022301 and 11991051. C.H. acknowledges support from from NSFC grants 12122305 and 11991054. C.S.R. thanks the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) for support under the consolidated grant ST/S000623/1, as well as the European Research Council (ERC) for support under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant 834203). T.L. acknowledges support from the Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholarship Program and by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities under contract with NASA.

Funding Information:
This work makes use of observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory global telescope network. The Liverpool Telescope is operated on the island of La Palma by Liverpool John Moores University in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias with financial support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3

Cite this

Kara, E., Barth, A. J., Cackett, E. M., Gelbord, J., Montano, J., Li, Y. R., Santana, L., Horne, K., Alston, W. N., Buisson, D., Chelouche, D., Du, P., Fabian, A. C., Fian, C., Gallo, L., Goad, M. R., Grupe, D., González Buitrago, D. H., Hernández Santisteban, J. V., ... Wilkins, D. (2023). UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335. Astrophysical Journal, 947(2), Article 62. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3

@article{cbd5833dd4334782b8a53460e9e69447,

title = "UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335",

abstract = "We present the first results from a 100-day Swift, NICER, and ground-based X-ray-UV-optical reverberation mapping campaign of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Mrk 335, when it was in an unprecedented low X-ray flux state. Despite dramatic suppression of the X-ray variability, we still observe UV-optical lags as expected from disk reverberation. Moreover, the UV-optical lags are consistent with archival observations when the X-ray luminosity was >10 times higher. Interestingly, both low- and high-flux states reveal UV-optical lags that are 6-11 times longer than expected from a thin disk. These long lags are often interpreted as due to contamination from the broad line region; however the u-band excess lag (containing the Balmer jump from the diffuse continuum) is less prevalent than in other active galactic nuclei. The Swift campaign showed a low X-ray-to-optical correlation (similar to previous campaigns), but NICER and ground-based monitoring continued for another 2 weeks, during which the optical rose to the highest level of the campaign, followed ∼10 days later by a sharp rise in X-rays. While the low X-ray countrate and relatively large systematic uncertainties in the NICER background make this measurement challenging, if the optical does lead X-rays in this flare, this indicates a departure from the zeroth-order reprocessing picture. If the optical flare is due to an increase in mass accretion rate, this occurs on much shorter than the viscous timescale. Alternatively, the optical could be responding to an intrinsic rise in X-rays that is initially hidden from our line of sight.",

author = "Erin Kara and Barth, {Aaron J.} and Cackett, {Edward M.} and Jonathan Gelbord and John Montano and Li, {Yan Rong} and Lisabeth Santana and Keith Horne and Alston, {William N.} and Douglas Buisson and Doron Chelouche and Pu Du and Fabian, {Andrew C.} and Carina Fian and Luigi Gallo and Goad, {Michael R.} and Dirk Grupe and {Gonz{\'a}lez Buitrago}, {Diego H.} and {Hern{\'a}ndez Santisteban}, {Juan V.} and Shai Kaspi and Chen Hu and S. Komossa and Kriss, {Gerard A.} and Collin Lewin and Tiffany Lewis and Michael Loewenstein and Anne Lohfink and Megan Masterson and McHardy, {Ian M.} and Missagh Mehdipour and Jake Miller and Christos Panagiotou and Parker, {Michael L.} and Ciro Pinto and Ron Remillard and Christopher Reynolds and Daniele Rogantini and Wang, {Jian Min} and Jingyi Wang and Dan Wilkins",

note = "Funding Information: Some of the data used in this paper were acquired with the RATIR instrument, funded by the University of California and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the 1.5 m Harold L. Johnson telescope at the Observatorio Astron{\'o}mico Nacional on the Sierra de San Pedro M{\'a}rtir, operated and maintained by the Observatorio Astron{\'o}mico Nacional and the Instituto de Astronom{\'i}a of the Universidad Nacional Aut{\'o}noma de M{\'e}xico. Operations are partially funded by the Universidad Nacional Aut{\'o}noma de M{\'e}xico (DGAPA/PAPIIT IG100414, IT102715, AG100317, IN109418, IG100820, and IN105921). We acknowledge the contribution of Leonid Georgiev and Neil Gehrels to the development of RATIR. Funding Information: E.K. acknowledges support from NASA grants 80NSSC20K0470 and 80NSSC20K0372, and is supported by the Sagol Weizmann-MIT Bridge Program. Research at the University of California Irvine was supported by NSF grant AST-1907290. E.M.C. gratefully acknowledges support from the NSF through grant AST-1909199. Y.R.L. acknowledges financial support from the NSFC through grant Nos. 11922304 and 12273041 and from the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS. P.D. acknowledges support from NSFC grants 12022301 and 11991051. C.H. acknowledges support from from NSFC grants 12122305 and 11991054. C.S.R. thanks the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) for support under the consolidated grant ST/S000623/1, as well as the European Research Council (ERC) for support under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant 834203). T.L. acknowledges support from the Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholarship Program and by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities under contract with NASA. Funding Information: This work makes use of observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory global telescope network. The Liverpool Telescope is operated on the island of La Palma by Liverpool John Moores University in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias with financial support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3",

language = "English",

volume = "947",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

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Kara, E, Barth, AJ, Cackett, EM, Gelbord, J, Montano, J, Li, YR, Santana, L, Horne, K, Alston, WN, Buisson, D, Chelouche, D, Du, P, Fabian, AC, Fian, C, Gallo, L, Goad, MR, Grupe, D, González Buitrago, DH, Hernández Santisteban, JV, Kaspi, S, Hu, C, Komossa, S, Kriss, GA, Lewin, C, Lewis, T, Loewenstein, M, Lohfink, A, Masterson, M, McHardy, IM, Mehdipour, M, Miller, J, Panagiotou, C, Parker, ML, Pinto, C, Remillard, R, Reynolds, C, Rogantini, D, Wang, JM, Wang, J & Wilkins, D 2023, 'UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 947, no. 2, 62. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3

TY - JOUR

T1 - UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335

AU - Kara, Erin

AU - Barth, Aaron J.

AU - Cackett, Edward M.

AU - Gelbord, Jonathan

AU - Montano, John

AU - Li, Yan Rong

AU - Santana, Lisabeth

AU - Horne, Keith

AU - Alston, William N.

AU - Buisson, Douglas

AU - Chelouche, Doron

AU - Du, Pu

AU - Fabian, Andrew C.

AU - Fian, Carina

AU - Gallo, Luigi

AU - Goad, Michael R.

AU - Grupe, Dirk

AU - González Buitrago, Diego H.

AU - Hernández Santisteban, Juan V.

AU - Kaspi, Shai

AU - Hu, Chen

AU - Komossa, S.

AU - Kriss, Gerard A.

AU - Lewin, Collin

AU - Lewis, Tiffany

AU - Loewenstein, Michael

AU - Lohfink, Anne

AU - Masterson, Megan

AU - McHardy, Ian M.

AU - Mehdipour, Missagh

AU - Miller, Jake

AU - Panagiotou, Christos

AU - Parker, Michael L.

AU - Pinto, Ciro

AU - Remillard, Ron

AU - Reynolds, Christopher

AU - Rogantini, Daniele

AU - Wang, Jian Min

AU - Wang, Jingyi

AU - Wilkins, Dan

N1 - Funding Information: Some of the data used in this paper were acquired with the RATIR instrument, funded by the University of California and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, and the 1.5 m Harold L. Johnson telescope at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional on the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, operated and maintained by the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional and the Instituto de Astronomía of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Operations are partially funded by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (DGAPA/PAPIIT IG100414, IT102715, AG100317, IN109418, IG100820, and IN105921). We acknowledge the contribution of Leonid Georgiev and Neil Gehrels to the development of RATIR. Funding Information: E.K. acknowledges support from NASA grants 80NSSC20K0470 and 80NSSC20K0372, and is supported by the Sagol Weizmann-MIT Bridge Program. Research at the University of California Irvine was supported by NSF grant AST-1907290. E.M.C. gratefully acknowledges support from the NSF through grant AST-1909199. Y.R.L. acknowledges financial support from the NSFC through grant Nos. 11922304 and 12273041 and from the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS. P.D. acknowledges support from NSFC grants 12022301 and 11991051. C.H. acknowledges support from from NSFC grants 12122305 and 11991054. C.S.R. thanks the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) for support under the consolidated grant ST/S000623/1, as well as the European Research Council (ERC) for support under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (grant 834203). T.L. acknowledges support from the Zuckerman Postdoctoral Scholarship Program and by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Oak Ridge Associated Universities under contract with NASA. Funding Information: This work makes use of observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory global telescope network. The Liverpool Telescope is operated on the island of La Palma by Liverpool John Moores University in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias with financial support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council. Publisher Copyright: © 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

PY - 2023/4/1

Y1 - 2023/4/1

N2 - We present the first results from a 100-day Swift, NICER, and ground-based X-ray-UV-optical reverberation mapping campaign of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Mrk 335, when it was in an unprecedented low X-ray flux state. Despite dramatic suppression of the X-ray variability, we still observe UV-optical lags as expected from disk reverberation. Moreover, the UV-optical lags are consistent with archival observations when the X-ray luminosity was >10 times higher. Interestingly, both low- and high-flux states reveal UV-optical lags that are 6-11 times longer than expected from a thin disk. These long lags are often interpreted as due to contamination from the broad line region; however the u-band excess lag (containing the Balmer jump from the diffuse continuum) is less prevalent than in other active galactic nuclei. The Swift campaign showed a low X-ray-to-optical correlation (similar to previous campaigns), but NICER and ground-based monitoring continued for another 2 weeks, during which the optical rose to the highest level of the campaign, followed ∼10 days later by a sharp rise in X-rays. While the low X-ray countrate and relatively large systematic uncertainties in the NICER background make this measurement challenging, if the optical does lead X-rays in this flare, this indicates a departure from the zeroth-order reprocessing picture. If the optical flare is due to an increase in mass accretion rate, this occurs on much shorter than the viscous timescale. Alternatively, the optical could be responding to an intrinsic rise in X-rays that is initially hidden from our line of sight.

AB - We present the first results from a 100-day Swift, NICER, and ground-based X-ray-UV-optical reverberation mapping campaign of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 Mrk 335, when it was in an unprecedented low X-ray flux state. Despite dramatic suppression of the X-ray variability, we still observe UV-optical lags as expected from disk reverberation. Moreover, the UV-optical lags are consistent with archival observations when the X-ray luminosity was >10 times higher. Interestingly, both low- and high-flux states reveal UV-optical lags that are 6-11 times longer than expected from a thin disk. These long lags are often interpreted as due to contamination from the broad line region; however the u-band excess lag (containing the Balmer jump from the diffuse continuum) is less prevalent than in other active galactic nuclei. The Swift campaign showed a low X-ray-to-optical correlation (similar to previous campaigns), but NICER and ground-based monitoring continued for another 2 weeks, during which the optical rose to the highest level of the campaign, followed ∼10 days later by a sharp rise in X-rays. While the low X-ray countrate and relatively large systematic uncertainties in the NICER background make this measurement challenging, if the optical does lead X-rays in this flare, this indicates a departure from the zeroth-order reprocessing picture. If the optical flare is due to an increase in mass accretion rate, this occurs on much shorter than the viscous timescale. Alternatively, the optical could be responding to an intrinsic rise in X-rays that is initially hidden from our line of sight.

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U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3

DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/acbcd3

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85153800874

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 947

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 62

ER -

UV-Optical Disk Reverberation Lags despite a Faint X-Ray Corona in the Active Galactic Nucleus Mrk 335

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