| Title: |
Probing jet-induced optical variability across time-scales in radio-loud NLSy1 galaxies |
| Authors: |
Jha, Vivek Kumar; Sharma, Anshul Kumar; Sudan, Madhu; Chand, Hum |
| Contributors: |
University Grants Commission; National Science Foundation; University of Warwick; Cornell University |
| Source: |
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ; volume 545, issue 3 ; ISSN 0035-8711 1365-2966 |
| Publisher Information: |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Description: |
We investigate optical variability across multiple time-scales in a sample of radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (RL-NLSy1) galaxies, including $\gamma$-ray detected, $\gamma$-ray undetected, and non-jetted systems along with a comparison set of highly polarized core-dominated quasars (HPQs). Using Zwicky Transient Facility light curves, we measure fractional variability ($F_{\rm var}$) and rest-frame structure functions (SFs) to test whether short-term jet-linked variability is reflected in long-term behaviour. $\gamma$-ray detected RL-NLSy1s and HPQs show steeply rising SFs, revealing strong long-term coherence despite modest $F_{\rm var}$, consistent with Doppler-boosted synchrotron emission from relativistic jets. Non-jetted RL-NLSy1s exhibit the highest $F_{\rm var}$ but plateauing SFs, indicative of stochastic, disc-driven fluctuations lacking long-term coherence. $\gamma$-ray undetected RL-NLSy1s show the lowest $F_{\rm var}$ and nearly flat SFs, consistent with weak or absent jet activity across all time-scales. Colour–magnitude trends show that jet-dominated sources exhibit redder-when-brighter behaviour, whereas disc-dominated systems exhibit bluer-when-brighter trends. These results show that SF-derived temporal coherence, rather than variability amplitude alone, is a promising diagnostic of jet dominance and orientation, offering a framework for interpreting AGN variability in forthcoming time-domain surveys. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1093/mnras/staf2225 |
| DOI: |
10.1093/mnras/staf2225/65912694/staf2225.pdf |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf2225; https://academic.oup.com/mnras/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/mnras/staf2225/65912694/staf2225.pdf; https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-pdf/545/3/staf2225/65912694/staf2225.pdf |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.BB02DF09 |
| Database: |
BASE |