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.
