The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561

The measurement of continuum time lags in lensed quasars can effectively probe the accretion physics of quasars. This is because microlensing observations of lensed quasars can provide constraints on the half-light radii of quasar accretion disks. By combining the microlensing results with time lag...

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Main Authors: Marcin Marculewicz, Mouyuan Sun, Zhixiang Zhang, Tuan Yi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2024-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8b1a
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author Marcin Marculewicz
Mouyuan Sun
Zhixiang Zhang
Tuan Yi
author_facet Marcin Marculewicz
Mouyuan Sun
Zhixiang Zhang
Tuan Yi
author_sort Marcin Marculewicz
collection DOAJ
description The measurement of continuum time lags in lensed quasars can effectively probe the accretion physics of quasars. This is because microlensing observations of lensed quasars can provide constraints on the half-light radii of quasar accretion disks. By combining the microlensing results with time lag measurements, one can, for the first time, estimate the propagation velocity of the physical process that drives interband time lags and cross correlations among disk emission (i.e., in UV/optical bands). In this study, we perform the disk reverberation mapping study for the well-studied lensed quasar, Q0957+561. The cross correlation between the Zwicky Transient Facility g and r bands was measured; the g variations lead the r ones by 6.4 ± 2.6 days in the rest frame. In combination with the half-light radius from the existing literature, we find that the propagation velocity of the variability mechanism should be ${1.7}_{-0.7}^{+1.5}$ times the speed of light. We discuss the possible outcomes of this result. Similar studies can be applied to other lensed quasars by utilizing the Legacy Survey of Space and Time observations.
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spelling doaj-art-733602be62aa4fceb9612f55443fabc92025-08-20T02:23:32ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01976221110.3847/1538-4357/ad8b1aThe Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561Marcin Marculewicz0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1380-1785Mouyuan Sun1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0771-2153Zhixiang Zhang2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2419-6875Tuan Yi3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5839-6744Department of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People's Republic of China ; msun88@xmu.edu.cn; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University, 666 W. Hancock St, Detroit, MI, 48201, USADepartment of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People's Republic of China ; msun88@xmu.edu.cnDepartment of Astronomy, Xiamen University , Xiamen, Fujian 361005, People's Republic of China ; msun88@xmu.edu.cnDepartment of Astronomy, School of Physics, Peking University , Yiheyuan Rd. 5, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China; Kavli Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University , Yiheyuan Rd. 5, Haidian District, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of ChinaThe measurement of continuum time lags in lensed quasars can effectively probe the accretion physics of quasars. This is because microlensing observations of lensed quasars can provide constraints on the half-light radii of quasar accretion disks. By combining the microlensing results with time lag measurements, one can, for the first time, estimate the propagation velocity of the physical process that drives interband time lags and cross correlations among disk emission (i.e., in UV/optical bands). In this study, we perform the disk reverberation mapping study for the well-studied lensed quasar, Q0957+561. The cross correlation between the Zwicky Transient Facility g and r bands was measured; the g variations lead the r ones by 6.4 ± 2.6 days in the rest frame. In combination with the half-light radius from the existing literature, we find that the propagation velocity of the variability mechanism should be ${1.7}_{-0.7}^{+1.5}$ times the speed of light. We discuss the possible outcomes of this result. Similar studies can be applied to other lensed quasars by utilizing the Legacy Survey of Space and Time observations.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8b1aAccretionQuasar microlensingSupermassive black holesReverberation mapping
spellingShingle Marcin Marculewicz
Mouyuan Sun
Zhixiang Zhang
Tuan Yi
The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561
The Astrophysical Journal
Accretion
Quasar microlensing
Supermassive black holes
Reverberation mapping
title The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561
title_full The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561
title_fullStr The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561
title_full_unstemmed The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561
title_short The Disk Reverberation Mapping of the Lensed Quasar Q0957+561
title_sort disk reverberation mapping of the lensed quasar q0957 561
topic Accretion
Quasar microlensing
Supermassive black holes
Reverberation mapping
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad8b1a
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