We are using the high sensitivity and angular resolution of the VISTA Magellanic Clouds (VMC) multi-epoch survey at 1-2.5 micron as a basis for characterising the variability of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) out to redshift >1. Two AGN, at redshifts 0.14 and 1 that are dominated in the infrared (IR) by the emission from nuclear dust are studied in-depth, and the prevalence of IR variability is studied in a larger sample. We are using the hot dust (variability) as a tracer of the accretion instabilities, but the dust grains are subject to extreme conditions. The findings are placed in context of optical (OGLE) and mid-IR (Spitzer, WISE) variability studies and new radio data from the Australian SKA Pathfinder to identify the causes for the near-IR variations.

Please note: I will be using hot dust variability as a tracer.