Quasar Variability: Statistical Description and Modeling

支持的研究将改进以前使用SDSS（斯隆数字巡天）在光学领域对类星体的变化研究。 它将为80，000个SDSS类星体收集200万个测量数据的大型数据库，以生成2，600个类星体在8年基线内的良好采样光变曲线。 这将被用来发展一个详细的统计描述类星体的可变性。 该研究将把几个系列的变异性模型统一为一个单一的综合模型，并将结果与观测结果进行比较。 这项研究将影响我们对超大质量黑洞附近区域和类星体发射机制的理解。更广泛的影响包括提供一个“科学准备”的类星体可变性公共数据库，培训学生，以及一个致力于这项研究的公共推广网站。

The supported research will improve on previous variability studies of quasars in the optical regime using the SDSS (Sloan Digital Sky Survey). It will assemble a large database of two million measurements for 80,000 SDSS quasars, to generate well-sampled light curves for 2,600 quasars over an eight year baseline. This will be used to develop a detailed statistical description of quasar variability. The research will unify several families of models for variability into a single comprehensive model and compare the results to the observations. This study will impact our understanding of the regions close to supermassive black holes and of the mechanisms of quasar emission. The broader impacts include provision of a "science ready" public database of quasar variability, training of students, and a public outreach web site devoted to this research.