X-Ray Variability of AGN and Relationship to Galactic Black Hole Binary Systems

TL;DR

This paper reviews 12 years of RXTE observations, revealing how AGN and Galactic black hole binaries share X-ray variability patterns, scaling relationships, and spectral states, deepening our understanding of accretion processes in the universe.

Contribution

It demonstrates that characteristic variability timescales in AGN scale with black hole mass and accretion rate, linking AGN and BHB behaviors and suggesting the inner disc edge governs variability.

Findings

Power spectral bend timescales scale with black hole mass and accretion rate.

AGN and BHB X-ray lags follow similar Fourier timescale patterns.

Most monitored AGN are likely in the soft spectral state.

Abstract

Over the last 12 years, AGN monitoring by RXTE, has revolutionised our understanding of the X-ray variability of AGN, of the relationship between AGN and Galactic black hole X-ray binaries (BHBs) and hence of the accretion process itself, which fuels the emission in AGN and BHBs and is the major source of power in the universe. In this paper I review our current understanding of these topics. I begin by considering whether AGN and BHBs show the same X-ray spectral-timing `states' (e.g. low-flux, hard-spectrum or `hard' and high-flux, soft-spectrum or `soft'). Observational selection effects mean that most of the AGN which we have monitored will probably be `soft state' objects, but AGN are found in the other BHB states, although possibly with different critical transition accretion rates. I examine timescale scaling relationships between AGN and BHBs. I show that characteristic power spectral `bend' timescales, T_B, scale approximately with black hole mass, M_BH, but inversely with accretion rate, mdot_E, (in units of the Eddington accretion rate) probably signifying that T_B, arises at the inner edge of the accretion disc. The relationship T_B proportional to M_BH/mdot_E is a good fit, implying that no other potential variable, e.g. black hole spin, varies significantly. Lags between hard and soft X-ray bands as a function of Fourier timescale follow similar patterns in AGN and BHBs. [Abridged]