Intra-night optical variability of AGN in COSMOS field

Optical variability is one way to probe the nature of the central engine of AGN at smaller linear scales, and previous studies have shown that optical variability of AGN is more prevalent at longer timescales and at shorter wavelengths. To understand the properties and physical mechanism of variability, we are performing the KMTNet Active Nuclei Variability Survey (KANVaS). Especially, we investigated intra-night variability of AGN with KMTNet data which observed COSMOS field during 3 separate nights from 2015 to 2016 in B, V, R, and I bands. Each night was composed of 5, 9, and 11 epochs with 20-30 min cadence. To find AGN in the COSMOS field, we applied multi-wavelength selection methods. Using X-ray, mid-infrared, and radio selection methods, 50-60, 130-220, 20-40 number of AGN are detected, respectively. Achieving photometric uncertainty ~0.01mag by differential photometry, we employed a standard time-series analysis tool to identify variable AGN, chi-square test. Preliminary results indicate that there is no evidence of intra-night optical variability of AGN. It is possible that previous studies discovered intra-night variability used inappropriate photometric error. However, main reason seems that our targets have fainter magnitude (higher photometric error) than that of previous studies. To discover variability of AGN, we will investigate longer timescale variability of AGN.