arXiv subjects

Jian-Min Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Jian-Min Wang.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Evidence for Two Distinct Broad-Line Regions from Reverberation Mapping of PG 0026+129

We report on the results of a new spectroscopic monitoring campaign of the quasar PG 0026+129 at the Calar Alto Observatory 2.2m telescope from July 2017 to February 2020. Significant variations in the fluxes of the continuum and broad-emission lines, including H$β$ and He II, were observed in the first and third years, and clear time lags between them are measured. The broad H$β$ line profile consists of two Gaussian components: an intermediate-width H$β_{\rm IC}$ with a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of 1964$\pm$18 $\rm km~s^{-1}$ and another very broad H$β_{\rm VBC}$ with a FWHM of 7570$\pm$83 $\rm km~s^{-1}$. H$β_{\rm IC}$ has long time lags of $\sim$40--60 days in the rest frame, while H$β_{\rm VBC}$ shows nearly zero time delay with respect to the optical continuum at 5100 Å. The velocity-resolved delays show consistent results: lags of $\sim$30--50 days at the core of the broad H$β$ line and roughly zero lags at the wings. H$β_{\rm IC}$ has a redshift of $\sim$400 $\rm km~s^{-1}$ which seems to be stable for nearly 30 years by comparing with archived spectra, and may originate from an infall. The root mean square (rms) spectrum of H$β_{\rm VBC}$ shows a double-peaked profile with brighter blue peak and extended red wing in the first year, which matches the signature of a thin disk. Both the double-peaked profile and the near-zero lag suggest that H$β_{\rm VBC}$ comes from a region associated with the part of the accretion disc that emits the optical continuum. Adopting the FWHM (in the rms spectrum) and the time lag measured for the total H$β$ line, and a virial factor of 1.5, we obtain a virial mass of $2.89_{-0.69}^{+0.60} \times10^7 M_{\odot}$ for the central black hole in this quasar.

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arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined III: $f σ_8$ and $S_8$

The standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model provides a wonderful fit to current cosmological data, but a few tensions and anomalies became statistically significant with the latest data analyses. While these anomalies could be due to the presence of systematic errors in the experiments, they could also indicate the need for new physics beyond the standard model. In this Letter of Interest we focus on the tension of the Planck data with weak lensing measurements and redshift surveys, about the value of the matter energy density $Ω_m$, and the amplitude or rate of the growth of structure ($σ_8,fσ_8$). We list a few interesting models for solving this tension, and we discuss the importance of trying to fit with a single model a full array of data and not just one parameter at a time.

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arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined II: The Hubble Constant Tension

The current cosmological probes have provided a fantastic confirmation of the standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model, that has been constrained with unprecedented accuracy. However, with the increase of the experimental sensitivity a few statistically significant tensions between different independent cosmological datasets emerged. While these tensions can be in portion the result of systematic errors, the persistence after several years of accurate analysis strongly hints at cracks in the standard cosmological scenario and the need for new physics. In this Letter of Interest we will focus on the $4.4σ$ tension between the Planck estimate of the Hubble constant $H_0$ and the SH0ES collaboration measurements. After showing the $H_0$ evaluations made from different teams using different methods and geometric calibrations, we will list a few interesting new physics models that could solve this tension and discuss how the next decade experiments will be crucial.

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arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined I: Perspectives for the Next Decade

The standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter cosmological model provides an amazing description of a wide range of astrophysical and astronomical data. However, there are a few big open questions, that make the standard model look like a first-order approximation to a more realistic scenario that still needs to be fully understood. In this Letter of Interest we will list a few important goals that need to be addressed in the next decade, also taking into account the current discordances present between the different cosmological probes, as the Hubble constant $H_0$ value, the $σ_8 - S_8$ tension, and the anomalies present in the Planck results. Finally, we will give an overview of upgraded experiments and next-generation space-missions and facilities on Earth, that will be of crucial importance to address all these questions.

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arXiv2020

Cosmology Intertwined IV: The Age of the Universe and its Curvature

A precise measurement of the curvature of the Universe is of primeval importance for cosmology since it could not only confirm the paradigm of primordial inflation but also help in discriminating between different early Universe scenarios. The recent observations, while broadly consistent with a spatially flat standard $Λ$ Cold Dark Matter ($Λ$CDM) model, are showing tensions that still allow (and, in some cases, even suggest) a few percent deviations from a flat universe. In particular, the Planck Cosmic Microwave Background power spectra, assuming the nominal likelihood, prefer a closed universe at more than 99\% confidence level. While new physics could be in action, this anomaly may be the result of an unresolved systematic error or just a statistical fluctuation. However, since a positive curvature allows a larger age of the Universe, an accurate determination of the age of the oldest objects provides a smoking gun in confirming or falsifying the current flat $Λ$CDM model.

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arXiv2020

Differential interferometry of close binary of supermassive black holes in an elliptical configuration

The Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), and the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) will be a robust astrophysics suite offering the opportunity of probing the structure and dynamics of CB-SMBH at high spectral and angular resolution. Here, we explore and illustrate the application of differential interferometry on unresolved the CB-SMBH systems in elliptical orbital configurations and a single SMBH with clouds in elliptical orbital motion. Photocenter displacements between each SMBH and regions in their disc-like broad line regions (BLR) appear as small interferometric differential phase variability. To investigate the application of interferometric phases for the detection of CB-SMBH systems, we simulate a series of differential interferometry signatures, based on our model comprising ensembles of clouds surrounding each of supermassive black hole in a CB-SMBH. Setting model to the parameters of a single SMBH with elliptical cloud motion, we also calculated a series of differential interferometry observables for this case. We found various deviations from the canonical S-shaped of CB-SMBH phases profile for elliptically configured CB-SMBH systems. The amplitude and specific shape of the interferometry observables depend on orbital configurations of the CB-SMBH system. We get distinctive results when considering antialigned angular momenta of cloud orbits regarding total CB-SMBH angular momentum. Some simulated spectral lines from our model closely resemble observations of Pa αline got from near-infrared AGN surveys. We found differences between differential phases zoo of a single SMBH and CB-SMBH systems. The differential phases zoo for a single SMBH comprises deformed S shape. We also showed how their differential phase shape, amplitude, and slope evolve with various sets of cloud orbital parameters and observer position.

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arXiv2020

A parallax distance to 3C 273 through spectroastrometry and reverberation mapping

Distance measurements for extragalactic objects are a fundamental problem in astronomy and cosmology. In the era of precision cosmology, we urgently need better measurements of cosmological distances to observationally test the increasing $H_{0}$ tension of the Hubble constant measured from different tools. Using spectroastrometry, GRAVITY at The Very Large Telescope Interferometer successfully revealed the structure, kinematics and angular sizes of the broad-line region (BLR) of 3C 273 with an unprecedentedly high spatial resolution. Fortunately, reverberation mapping (RM) of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) reliably provides linear sizes of their BLRs. Here we report a joint analysis of spectroastrometry and RM observations to measure AGN distances. We apply this analysis to 3C 273 observed by both GRAVITY and an RM campaign,and find an angular distance of $551.5_{-78.7}^{+97.3}\, {\rm Mpc}$ and $H_{0}=71.5_{-10.6}^{+11.9}\,{\rm km\,s^{-1}\,Mpc^{-1}}$. Advantages of the analysis are 1) its pure geometrical measurements and 2) it simultaneously yields mass of the central black hole in the BLR. Moreover, we can conveniently repeat measurements of selected AGNs to efficiently reduce the statistical and systematic errors. Future observations of a reasonably sized sample ($\sim 30$ AGNs) will provide distances of the AGNs and hence a new way of measuring $H_{0}$ with a high precision $\left(\lesssim 3\%\right)$ to test the $H_{0}$ tension.

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arXiv2020

Untangling Optical Emissions of the Jet and Accretion Disk in the Flat-Spectrum Radio Quasar 3C 273 with Reverberation Mapping Data

3C 273 is an intensively monitored flat-spectrum radio quasar with both a beamed jet and blue bump together with broad emission lines. The coexistence of the comparably prominent jet and accretion disk leads to complicated variability properties. Recent reverberation mapping monitoring for 3C 273 revealed that the optical continuum shows a distinct long-term trend that does not have a corresponding echo in the Hbeta fluxes. We compile multi-wavelength monitoring data from the Swift archive and other ground-based programs and clearly find two components of emissions at optical wavelength. One component stems from the accretion disk itself and the other component can be ascribed to the jet contribution, which also naturally accounts for the non-echoed trend in reverberation mapping data. We develop an approach to decouple the optical emissions from the jet and accretion disk in 3C 273 with the aid of multi-wavelength monitoring data. By assuming the disk emission has a negligible polarization in consideration of the low inclination of the jet, the results show that the jet contributes a fraction of ~10% at the minimum and up to ~40% at the maximum to the total optical emissions. This is the first time to provide a physical interpretation to the "detrending" manipulation conventionally adopted in reverberation mapping analysis. Our work also illustrates the importance of appropriately analyzing variability properties in cases of coexisting jets and accretion disks.

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arXiv2020

Supermassive black holes with high accretion rates in active galactic nuclei. XI. Accretion disk reverberation mapping of Mrk 142

We performed an intensive accretion disk reverberation mapping campaign on the high accretion rate active galactic nucleus Mrk 142 in early 2019. Mrk 142 was monitored with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory for 4 months in X-rays and 6 UV/optical filters. Ground-based photometric monitoring was obtained from the Las Cumbres Observatory, Liverpool Telescope and Dan Zowada Memorial Observatory in ugriz filters and the Yunnan Astronomical Observatory in V. Mrk 142 was highly variable throughout, displaying correlated variability across all wavelengths. We measure significant time lags between the different wavelength light curves, finding that through the UV and optical the wavelength-dependent lags, $τ(λ)$, generally follow the relation $τ(λ) \propto λ^{4/3}$, as expected for the $T\propto R^{-3/4}$ profile of a steady-state optically-thick, geometrically-thin accretion disk, though can also be fit by $τ(λ) \propto λ^{2}$, as expected for a slim disk. The exceptions are the u and U band, where an excess lag is observed, as has been observed in other AGN and attributed to continuum emission arising in the broad-line region. Furthermore, we perform a flux-flux analysis to separate the constant and variable components of the spectral energy distribution, finding that the flux-dependence of the variable component is consistent with the $f_ν\proptoν^{1/3}$ spectrum expected for a geometrically-thin accretion disk. Moreover, the X-ray to UV lag is significantly offset from an extrapolation of the UV/optical trend, with the X-rays showing a poorer correlation with the UV than the UV does with the optical. The magnitude of the UV/optical lags is consistent with a highly super-Eddington accretion rate.

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arXiv2020

On the relation between hard X-ray photon index versus accretion rate for super-Eddington accreting quasars

We investigate whether the hard X-ray photon index ($Γ$) versus accretion rate correlation for super-Eddington accreting quasars is different from that for sub-Eddington accreting quasars. We construct a sample of 113 bright quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14 quasar catalog, including 38 quasars as the super-Eddington subsample and 75 quasars as the sub-Eddington subsample. We derive black-hole masses using a simple-epoch virial mass formula based on the ${\rm Hβ}$ lines, and we use the standard thin disk model to derive the dimensionless accretion rates ($\dot{\mathscr{M}}$) for our sample. The X-ray data for these quasars are collected from the Chandra and XMM-Newton archives. We fit the hard X-ray spectra using a single power-law model to obtain $Γ$ values. We find a statistically significant ($R_{\rm S}=0.43$, $p=7.75\times{10}^{-3}$) correlation between $Γ$ and $\dot{\mathscr{M}}$ for the super-Eddington subsample. The $Γ$-$\dot{\mathscr{M}}$ correlation for the sub-Eddington subsample is also significant, but weaker ($R_{\rm S}=0.30$, $p=9.98\times{10}^{-3}$). Linear regression analysis shows that ${\rm Γ}=(0.34\pm0.11){\rm log}{\dot{\mathscr{M}}}+(1.71\pm0.17)$ and ${\rm Γ}=(0.09\pm0.04){\rm log}{\dot{\mathscr{M}}}+(1.93\pm0.04)$ for the super- and sub-Eddington subsamples, respectively. The $Γ$-$\dot{\mathscr{M}}$ correlations of the two subsamples are different, suggesting different disk-corona connections in these two types of systems. We propose one qualitative explanation of the steeper $Γ$-$\dot{\mathscr{M}}$ correlation in the super-Eddington regime that involves larger seed photon fluxes received by the compact coronae from the thick disks in super-Eddington accreting quasars.

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arXiv2020

Constraints on individual supermassive binary black holes using observations of PSR J1909-3744

We perform a search for gravitational waves (GWs) from several supermassive binary black hole (SMBBH) candidates (NGC 5548, Mrk 231, OJ 287, PG 1302-102, NGC 4151, Ark 120 and 3C 66B) in long-term timing observations of the pulsar PSR J1909$-$3744 obtained using the Parkes radio telescope. No statistically significant signals were found. We constrain the chirp masses of those SMBBH candidates and find the chirp mass of NGC 5548 and 3C 66B to be less than $2.4 \times 10^9\,\rm M_{\odot}$ and $2.5 \times 10^9\,\rm M_{\odot}$ (with 95% confidence), respectively. Our upper limits remain a factor of 3 to 370 above the likely chirp masses for these candidates as estimated from other approaches. The observations processed here provide upper limits on the GW strain amplitude that improve upon the results from the first Parkes Pulsar Timing Array data release by a factor of 2 to 7. We investigate how information about the orbital parameters can help improve the search sensitivity for individual SMBBH systems. Finally, we show that these limits are insensitive to uncertainties in the Solar System ephemeris model.

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arXiv2020

Broad-line Region of the Quasar PG 2130+099 from a Two-Year Reverberation Mapping Campaign with High Cadence

As one of the most interesting Seyfert 1 galaxies, PG 2130+099 has been the target of several reverberation mapping (RM) campaigns over the years. However, its measured broad H$β$ line responses have been inconsistent, with time lags of $\sim$200 days, $\sim$25 days, and $\sim$10 days being reported for different epochs while its optical luminosity changed no more than 40%. To investigate this issue, we conducted a new RM-campaign with homogenous and high cadence (about $\sim$3 days) for two years during 2017--2019 to measure the kinematics and structure of the ionized gas. We successfully detected time lags of broad H$β$, He II, He I, and Fe II lines with respect to the varying 5100Åcontinuum, revealing a stratified structure that is likely virialized with Keplerian kinematics in the first year of observations, but an inflow kinematics of the broad-line region from the second year. With a central black hole mass of $0.97_{-0.18}^{+0.15}\times 10^7~M_{\odot}$, PG 2130+099 has an accretion rate of $10^{2.1\pm0.5}L_{\rm Edd}c^{-2}$, where $L_{\rm Edd}$ is the Eddington luminosity and $c$ is speed of light, implying that it is a super-Eddington accretor and likely possesses a slim, rather than thin, accretion disk. The fast changes of the ionization structures of the three broad lines remain puzzling.

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arXiv2019

Kinematic signatures of reverberation mapping of close binaries of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. II. Atlas of two-dimensional transfer functions

Most large galaxies harbor supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in their centers, and galaxies merge. Consequently, binary SMBHs should be common in galactic nuclei. However, close binaries of SMBH (CB-SMBHs) with sub-parsec separation cannot be imaged directly using current facilities. Some indirect signatures, such as periodic signals in light curves and double peaks in emission-line profile, have been used to find CB-SMBH candidates, but ambiguities still exist and no definitive conclusions can be made. We have recently proposed a new method focusing on kinematic signatures that can be derived from reverberation mapping of CB-SMBHs, one that offers a promising avenue to address this important problem. In this paper, we calculated models for a wide range of parameters, but BLRs of two BHs are close but still not merged. The purpose of this supplementary paper is to provide an atlas of two-dimensional transfer functions of CB-SMBHs with a wide range of orbital and geometrical parameters to aid more efficient identification of CB-SMBH candidates in reverberation mapping data.

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arXiv2019

Active Galactic Nuclei with Ultra-fast Outflows Monitoring Project: The Broad-line Region of Mrk 79 as a Disk Wind

We developed a spectroscopic monitoring project to investigate the kinematics of the broad-line region (BLR) in active galactic nuclei (AGN) with ultra-fast outflows (UFOs). Mrk~79 is a radio-quiet AGN with UFOs and warm absorbers, had been monitored by three reverberation mapping (RM) campaigns, but its BLR kinematics is not understood yet. In this paper, we report the results from a new RM-campaign of Mrk~79, which was undertaken by Lijiang 2.4-m telescope. Mrk~79 is seeming to come out the faint state, the mean flux approximates a magnitude fainter than historical record. We successfully measured the lags of the broad emission lines including H$β~\lambda4861$, H$γ~\lambda4340$, He II $\lambda4686$ and He I $\lambda5876$ with respect to the varying AGN continuum. Based on the broad H$β~\lambda4861$ line, we measured black hole (BH) mass of $M_{\bullet}=5.13^{+1.57}_{-1.55}\times10^{7}M_{\odot}$, estimated accretion rates of ${\dot{M}_{\bullet}}=(0.05\pm0.02)~L_{\rm Edd}~c^{-2}$, indicating that Mrk~79 is a sub-Eddington accretor. We found that Mrk~79 deviates from the canonical Radius$-$Luminosity relationship. The marginal blueshift of the broad He II $\lambda4686$ line detected from rms spectrum indicates outflow of high-ionization gas. The velocity-resolved lag profiles of the broad H$γ~\lambda4340$, H$β~\lambda4861$, and He I $\lambda5876$ lines show similar signatures that the largest lag occurs in the red wing of the lines then the lag decreases to both sides. These signatures should suggest that the BLR of Keplerian motion probably exists the outflow gas motion. All findings including UFOs, warm absorbers, and the kinematics of high- and low-ionization BLR, may provide an indirect evidence that the BLR of Mrk~79 probably originates from disk wind.

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arXiv2019

Kinematic signatures of reverberation mapping of close binaries of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei III. The case of elliptical orbits

An intense search for kinematic signatures of reverberation mapping of close binary SMBH (SMBBH) is currently ongoing. Elliptical SMBBH systems (i.e. both orbits and disc-like broad-line regions (BLR) are elliptic) have not been assessed in two-dimensional transfer functions (2DTF) studies. We aim to numerically infer such a 2DTF because the geometry of the unresolved region is imprinted on their optical emission. Through this, we determine their specific kinematical signatures. We simulated the geometry and kinematics of SMBBH whose components are on elliptical orbits. Each SMBH had a disc-like elliptical BLR. The SMBHs were active and orbited each other tightly at a subparsec distance. Here we calculate for the first time 2DTF, as defined in the velocity-time delay plane, for several elliptical configurations of SMBBH orbits and their BLRs. We find that these very complex configurations are clearly resolved in maps. These results are distinct from those obtained from circular and disc-wind geometry. We calculate the expected line variability for all SMBBH configurations. We show that the line shapes are influenced by the orbital phase of the SMBBH. Some line profiles resemble observed profiles, but they can also be much deformed to look like those from the disc-wind model. First, our results imply that using our 2DTF, we can detect and quantify kinematic signatures of elliptical SMBBH. Second, the calculated expected line profiles share some intriguing similarities with observed profiles, but also with some profiles that are synthesised in disc-wind models. To overcome the non-uniqueness of the spectral line shapes as markers of SMBBH, they must be accompanied with 2DTF.

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arXiv2019

A Possible ~20 yr Periodicity in Long-term Optical Photometric and Spectral Variations of the Nearby Radio-Quiet Active Galactic Nucleus Ark 120

We study the long-term variability in the optical monitoring database of Ark~120, a nearby radio-quiet active galactic nucleus (AGN) at a distance of 143 Mpc (z=0.03271). We compiled the historical archival photometric and spectroscopic data since 1974 and conducted a new two-year monitoring campaign in 2015-2017, resulting in a total temporal baseline over four decades. The long-term variations in the optical continuum exhibit a wave-like pattern and the Hbeta integrated flux series varies with a similar behavior. The broad Hbeta profiles have asymmetric double peaks, which change strongly with time and tend to merge into a single peak during some epochs. The period in the optical continuum determined from various period-search methods is about 20 yr and the estimated false alarm probability with null hypothesis simulations is about 1*10^-3. The overall variations of the broad Hbeta profiles also follow the same period. However, the present database only covers two cycles of the suggested period, which strongly encourages continued monitoring to track more cycles and confirm the periodicity. Nevertheless, in light of the possible periodicity and the complicated Hbeta profile, Ark~120 is one candidate of the nearest radio-quiet AGNs with possible periodic variability, and it is thereby a potential candidate host for a sub-parsec supermassive black hole binary.

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arXiv2019

The Radius-Luminosity Relationship Depends on Optical Spectra in Active Galactic Nuclei

The radius-luminosity (R-L) relationship of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) established by the reverberation mapping (RM) observations has been widely used as a single-epoch black hole mass estimator in the research of large AGN samples. However, the recent RM campaigns discovered that the AGNs with high accretion rates show shorter time lags by factors of a few comparing with the predictions from the R-L relationship. The explanation of the shortened time lags has not been finalized yet. We collect 8 different single-epoch spectral properties to investigate how the shortening of the time lags correlate with those properties and to understand what is the origin of the shortened lags. We find that the flux ratio between Fe II and H$β$ emission lines shows the most prominent correlation, thus confirm that accretion rate is the main driver for the shortened lags. In addition, we establish a new scaling relation including the relative strength of Fe II emission. This new scaling relation can provide less biased estimates of the black hole mass and accretion rate from the single-epoch spectra of AGNs.

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arXiv2019

Differential Interferometric Signatures of Close Binaries of Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei

In the present paper, we explore opportunities of applying the GRAVITY at the Very Large Telescope Interferometry (VLTI) with unprecedented spatial resolution to identify close binaries of supermassive black holes (CB-SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Each SMBH is assumed to be separately surrounded by their own broad-line regions (BLRs) composed of clouds with virialized motion. Composition of the binary orbital motion and the virial motion of clouds in each BLR determines the projected velocity fields and hence differential phase curves, which are obviously different from that of a single BLR. We calculate emission line profiles and differential phase curves of CB-SMBHs for the GRAVITY. For the simplest case where angular momentums of two BLRs and orbital motion are parallel, a phase plateau generally appears in the phase curves. For other combinations of the angular momentum, the plateau is replaced by new peaks and valleys variously depending on the situations. Given a combination, phase curves are also sensitive to changes of parameters of CB-SMBHs. All these features are easily distinguished from the well-known $S$-shaped phase curves of a single BLR so that the GRAVITY is expected to reveal signals of CB-SMBH from candidates of AGNs. With joint analysis of observations of reverberation mapping campaigns, we can reliably identify CB-SMBHs, and measure their orbital parameters in the meanwhile. This independent measurement of the orbital parameters also has implications to analysis of Pulsar Timing Array (PTA) observations for properties of low-frequency gravitational waves in future.

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