Probing Disk-Jet connection in AGNs through X-ray/Radio variability

Not scheduled
20m
Auditorium Telescopium (ESO)

Auditorium Telescopium

ESO

Regular

Description

The “Fundamental Plane of Black Hole Activity (fundamental plane)” defines a correlation between X-ray and radio emission of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and the mass of the accreting black hole (BH), serving as a primary indicator of disk-jet coupling in AGN across all accretion rates. However, the impact of intrinsic X-ray and radio variability on this relationship remains poorly understood. Testing the dependence of the fundamental plane on X-ray/radio variability is essential to understand the dynamic connection between AGN accretion disks and jets/outflows originating from the AGN core. Motivated by the empirical observations of a diverse class of AGN accreting at different rates, we have compiled a sample of AGN that have multi-epoch near-simultaneous observations in radio (5GHz) and X-ray (0.5-10 keV) bands. We present results from the X-ray/radio variability study of selected sources with different types of accretion and emission properties.

Additionally, we present a radio follow-up study of a Weak Line Quasar (WLQ) SDSSJ1539+3954 (Ayushi Chhipa et al 2026 ApJ 996 23), which exhibited an exceptional case of X-ray variability in 2019-2020. Its X-ray flux increased by over 20 times from 2013 to 2019 and subsequently dropped by at least a factor of 9 in 2020. We carried out a follow-up radio study in the 0.3-10 GHz range using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT; 2020, 2022, 2024) and Very Large Array (VLA; 2022), and analyzed archival Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) 3 GHz data (2017-2023) to investigate the source’s radio properties and potential connection with the X-ray behavior. Our observations reveal a compact radio source with a spectral index of -0.65 $\pm$ 0.15 in the frequency range 0.3-1.4 GHz and -1.09 $\pm$ 0.16 in 3-10 GHz. While the source was undetected in VLA-FIRST (1994) and VLASS epochs, the GMRT and VLA observations show no statistically significant variability over the monitored period. The absence of detectable changes in the radio flux, despite strong X-ray variability, suggests no direct connection between the X-ray variability and the radio emission, consistent with the thick-disk-plus-outflow (TDO) model for WLQs, accreting at super-Eddington rates. However, the sensitivity limit of the surveys prevents us from drawing definitive conclusions regarding no radio variability on longer timescales between the VLA-FIRST and GMRT epochs. Our analysis supports an AGN core wind/outflow-driven emission origin of the radio emission from the quasar.

Authors

Ayushi Chhipa (Indian Institute of Astrophysics) Dr Vivek M (Indian Institute of Astrophysics) Dr Nayana AJ (Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USA) Prof. Preeti Kharb (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), Pune-411007, India) Prof. WN Brandt (Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA) Dr Preshanth Jagannathan (National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801, USA) Dr Janhavi Baghel (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), Pune-411007, India) Dr Savithri H. Ezhikode (St. Francis de Sales College (Autonomous), Electronics City, Bengaluru- 560100, India) Prof. Ishwar Chandra (National Centre for Radio Astrophysics-Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA-TIFR), Pune-411007, India)

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