Speaker
Description
Changing-look Active Galactic Nuclei (CLAGN) have dramatically altered our understanding of the astrophysical processes governing supermassive black hole accretion. Determining the phenomena that drive accretion state transitions in CLAGN, e.g., Seyfert Type I to Type II or vice versa, remains an open question in contemporary studies. An important factor to consider in theoretical models driving these transitions is dynamic magnetic fields occurring at the accretion disk scale, which has direct consequences on the black hole's ability to launch and maintain a jet. In this talk, I discuss the results of VLBI monitoring of two CLAGNs, Mrk 590 and Mrk 1018, and place these in context of theories invoking dynamic magnetic fields down to the SMBH scale itself. I also present arguments for a diverse population of processes driving CLAGN phenomena and conclude by presenting future programs that will harness the full power of VLBI to ascertain how the characteristics of the accretion flow in CLAGN evolve with time, and thus directly constrain the processes driving transient accretion events in these fascinating objects.