# Optical Variability of Narrow and Broad line Seyfert 1 galaxies

## TL;DR

This study compares optical variability in narrow and broad line Seyfert 1 galaxies, revealing differences linked to radio properties, X-ray detection, and spectral features, with implications for understanding their central engines.

## Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of optical variability differences between NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies using long-term light curves and models, highlighting the roles of jets and accretion properties.

## Key findings

- NLSy1 galaxies show lower variability amplitude than BLSy1.
- Radio-loud sources exhibit higher variability than radio-quiet ones.
- X-ray detected NLSy1 galaxies are less variable than BLSy1.

## Abstract

We studied optical variability (OV) of a large sample of narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) and broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLSy1) galaxies with z<0.8 to investigate any differences in their OV properties. Using archival optical V-band light curves from the Catalina Real Time Transient Survey that span 5-9 years and modeling them using damped random walk, we estimated the amplitude of variability. We found NLSy1 galaxies as a class show lower amplitude of variability than their broad-line counterparts. In the sample of both NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies, radio-loud sources are found to have higher variability amplitude than radio-quiet sources. Considering only sources that are detected in the X-ray band, NLSy1 galaxies are less optically variable than BLSy1 galaxies. The amplitude of variability in the sample of both NLSy1 and BLSy1 galaxies is found to be anti-correlated with Fe II strength but correlated with the width of the H-beta line. The well-known anti-correlation of variability-luminosity and the variability-Eddington ratio is present in our data. Among the radio-loud sample, variability amplitude is found to be correlated with radio-loudness and radio-power suggesting jets also play an important role in the OV in radio-loud objects, in addition to the Eddington ratio, which is the main driving factor of OV in radio-quiet sources.