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# Identifying AGNs in Low-mass Galaxies via Long-term Optical Variability

## Author(s): Baldassare, Vivienne F; Geha, Marla; Greene, Jenny E.

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 Abstract: We present an analysis of the nuclear variability of similar to 28,000 nearby (z < 0.15) galaxies with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectroscopy in Stripe 82. We construct light curves using difference imaging of SDSS g-band images, which allows us to detect subtle variations in the central light output. We select variable active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by assessing whether detected variability is well-described by a damped random walk model. We find 135 galaxies with AGN-like nuclear variability. While most of the variability-selected AGNs have narrow emission lines consistent with the presence of an AGN, a small fraction have narrow emission lines dominated by star formation. The star-forming systems with nuclear AGN-like variability tend to be low mass (M-* < 10(10) M-circle dot), and may be AGNs missed by other selection techniques due to star formation dilution or low metallicities. We explore the AGN fraction as a function of stellar mass, and find that the fraction of variable AGN increases with stellar mass, even after taking into account the fact that lower-mass systems are fainter. There are several possible explanations for an observed decline in the fraction of variable AGN with decreasing stellar mass, including a drop in the supermassive black hole occupation fraction, a decrease in the ratio of black hole mass to galaxy stellar mass, or a change in the variability properties of lower-mass AGNs. We demonstrate that optical photometric variability is a promising avenue for detecting AGNs in low-mass, star formation-dominated galaxies, which has implications for the upcoming Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Publication Date: 1-Dec-2018 Electronic Publication Date: 4-Dec-2018 Citation: Baldassare, Vivienne F, Geha, Marla, Greene, Jenny. (2018). Identifying AGNs in Low-mass Galaxies via Long-term Optical Variability. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 868 (10.3847/1538-4357/aae6cf DOI: doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aae6cf ISSN: 0004-637X EISSN: 1538-4357 Related Item: http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-ref?querymethod=bib&simbo=on&submit=submit+bibcode&bibcode=2018ApJ...868..152B Type of Material: Journal Article Journal/Proceeding Title: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL Version: Final published version. Article is made available in OAR by the publisher's permission or policy.

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