{
  "abstract": "Several local ( z ≲ 0.2) metal-poor dwarf active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have remarkably similar properties to those of high-redshift little red dots (LRDs), and are proposed to be local analogs of LRDs. We use long-term photometric and spectroscopic observations of three local LRDs spanning ∼20 yr to measure variability in their rest-frame optical continua and broad H α emission lines. Using Zwicky Transient Facility light curves over a rest-frame ∼5 yr baseline, the r -band intrinsic rms variability is ( 9 × 1 0 − 5 ) − 9 × 10 - 5 + 0.014 mag (J1022+0841), 0.025 ± 0.004 mag (J1025+1402) and 0.020 ± 0.005 mag (J1047+0739), indicating low intrinsic variability (<3%–4% at 3 σ ). These variability amplitudes are much lower than those for dwarf AGNs and more massive quasars. We constrain the broad H α variability to be less than a few percent, without significant profile changes, over a rest-frame baseline of ∼15 yr in J1025+1402 and J1047+0739, respectively. Local LRDs have exceptionally large H α equivalent widths and H α /H β ratios that far exceed the Case B recombination value, in contrast with normal broad-line AGNs. In the context of recent theoretical models of LRDs as dense gas-enshrouded massive black holes with super-Eddington accretion, our results suggest that the photosphere emission is long-term stable and the broad Balmer lines do not arise primarily by photoionization. This scenario is consistent with the lack of variability, large H α /H β ratios, little dust extinction, and expected high gas density. Virial black hole mass estimates using broad H α assuming photoionization are therefore highly questionable for LRDs.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Yale University",
    "University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign",
    "Flatiron Institute"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Colin J. Burke",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9947-6911"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Zachary Stone",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8501-3518"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yue Shen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1659-7035"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yan-Fei 燕飞 Jiang 姜",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-2624-3399"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3d5ddvjaw8ndh.bib",
  "cited_by": 29,
  "doi": "10.3847/1538-4357/ae6b89",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "3d5ddvjaw8ndh",
  "issns": [
    "0004-637X",
    "1538-4357"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae6b89",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4416550230",
  "pdf_url": "https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae6b89/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-06-02",
  "publisher": "IOP Publishing",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3d5ddvjaw8ndh.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-08T13:20:38Z",
      "native_id": "W4416550230",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae6b89"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena",
      "subfield": "galaxies"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Too Quiet for Comfort: Local Little Red Dots Lack Variability over Decades",
  "title_text": "Too Quiet for Comfort: Local Little Red Dots Lack Variability over Decades",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3d5ddvjaw8ndh",
  "venue": "The Astrophysical Journal",
  "versions": []
}