skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: DUST REVERBERATION MAPPING IN THE ERA OF BIG OPTICAL SURVEYS AND ITS COSMOLOGICAL APPLICATION

Abstract

The time lag between optical and near-infrared (IR) flux variability can be taken as a means to determine the sublimation radius of the dusty ''torus'' around supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). I will show that data from large optical survey telescopes, e.g., the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), can be used to measure dust sublimation radii as well. The method makes use of the fact that the Wien tail of the hot dust emission reaches into the optical and can be reliably recovered with high-quality photometry. Simulations show that dust sublimation radii for a large sample of AGNs can be reliably established out to redshift z ∼ 0.1-0.2 with the LSST. Due to the ubiquitous presence of AGNs up to high redshifts, they have been studied as cosmological probes. Here, I discuss how optically determined dust time lags fit into the suggestion of using the dust sublimation radius as a ''standard candle'' and propose an extension of the dust time lags as ''standard rulers'' in combination with IR interferometry.

Authors:
 [1]
  1. Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels-Bohr-Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane-Maries-Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø (Denmark)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22365975
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 784; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BLACK HOLES; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; GALAXIES; GALAXY NUCLEI; INTERFEROMETRY; MAPPING; PHOTOMETRY; RED SHIFT; SUBLIMATION; TELESCOPES

Citation Formats

Hönig, S. F., E-mail: shoenig@dark-cosmology.dk. DUST REVERBERATION MAPPING IN THE ERA OF BIG OPTICAL SURVEYS AND ITS COSMOLOGICAL APPLICATION. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/784/1/L4.
Hönig, S. F., E-mail: shoenig@dark-cosmology.dk. DUST REVERBERATION MAPPING IN THE ERA OF BIG OPTICAL SURVEYS AND ITS COSMOLOGICAL APPLICATION. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/784/1/L4
Hönig, S. F., E-mail: shoenig@dark-cosmology.dk. 2014. "DUST REVERBERATION MAPPING IN THE ERA OF BIG OPTICAL SURVEYS AND ITS COSMOLOGICAL APPLICATION". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/784/1/L4.
@article{osti_22365975,
title = {DUST REVERBERATION MAPPING IN THE ERA OF BIG OPTICAL SURVEYS AND ITS COSMOLOGICAL APPLICATION},
author = {Hönig, S. F., E-mail: shoenig@dark-cosmology.dk},
abstractNote = {The time lag between optical and near-infrared (IR) flux variability can be taken as a means to determine the sublimation radius of the dusty ''torus'' around supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). I will show that data from large optical survey telescopes, e.g., the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), can be used to measure dust sublimation radii as well. The method makes use of the fact that the Wien tail of the hot dust emission reaches into the optical and can be reliably recovered with high-quality photometry. Simulations show that dust sublimation radii for a large sample of AGNs can be reliably established out to redshift z ∼ 0.1-0.2 with the LSST. Due to the ubiquitous presence of AGNs up to high redshifts, they have been studied as cosmological probes. Here, I discuss how optically determined dust time lags fit into the suggestion of using the dust sublimation radius as a ''standard candle'' and propose an extension of the dust time lags as ''standard rulers'' in combination with IR interferometry.},
doi = {10.1088/2041-8205/784/1/L4},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22365975}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal Letters},
issn = {2041-8205},
number = 1,
volume = 784,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Thu Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}