Uncovering Dwarf AGN With TESS

We present the results of a systematic search for AGN in TESS light curves of dwarf galaxies. Evidence of short-term flux changes in dwarf galaxies can reveal an AGN even when emission line ratios fail to do so. Studies of dwarf AGN are essential for a general understanding of the relationship between black hole and galaxy evolution. The timescale from the commonly-used damped random walk model has been shown to correlate with black hole mass, but further studies are required to understand the physical processes driving this empirical model’s effectiveness. Partially because of this timescale relation, TESS is a unique tool for the identification of dwarf AGN; a light curve from a single sector can reveal adequate variability. We demonstrate a successful methodology that accounts for TESS systematics and contamination by variable stars. The newly-identified AGN help populate scaling relations at the low-mass end and demonstrate the crucial role of TESS in studies of dwarf AGN and AGN in general.