Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userThe remarkable X-ray spectrum of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 445
241
0
0.0
(
0
)
Authors
R. M. Sambruna
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We present the results of the analysis of an archival 15 ks XMM-Newton observation of the nearby (z=0.057) radio-loud source 3C445, optically classified as a Broad-Line Radio Galaxy. While the RGS data are of insufficient quality to allow a meaningful analysis, the EPIC data show a remarkable X-ray spectrum. The 2-10 keV continuum is described by a heavily absorbed (Nh~ 1e22 - 1e23 cm-2) power law with photon index Gamma ~1.4, and strong (R~2) cold reflection. A narrow, unresolved Fe Kalpha emission line is detected, confirming previous findings, with EW 120eV. A soft excess is present below 2 keV over the extrapolation of the hard X-ray power law, which we model with a power law with the same photon index as the hard power law, absorbed by a column density Nh=6e20 cm-2 in excess to Galactic. A host of emission lines are present below 2 keV, confirming previous indications from ASCA, due to H- and He-like O, Mg, and Si. We attribute the origin of the lines to a photoionized gas, with properties very similar to radio-quiet obscured AGN. Two different ionized media, or a single stratified medium, are required to fit the soft X-ray data satisfactorily. The similarity of the X-ray spectrum of 3C445 to Seyferts underscores that the central engines of radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN similarly host both cold and warm gas.
rate research
Read More
We present a study of the central engine in the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 109. To investigate the immediate surrounding of this accreting, supermassive black hole, we perform a multi-epoch broad-band spectral analysis of a joint NuSTAR/XMM observation (2017), an archival xmm observation (2005) and the 105-month averaged Swift-BAT data. We are able to clearly separate the spectrum into a primary continuum, neutral and ionized absorption, and a reflection component. The photon index of the primary continuum has changed since 2005 ($Gamma = 1.61 substack{+0.02 -0.01} rightarrow 1.54 pm{0.02}$), while other components remain unchanged, indicative of minimal geometric changes to the central engine. We constrain the high-energy cutoff of 3C 109 (E$_{text{cut}}= 49 substack{+7 -5}$,keV ) for the first time. The reflector is found to be ionized (log $xi$ = $2.3 substack{+0.1 -0.2}$) but no relativistic blurring is required by the data. SED analysis confirms the super-Eddington nature of 3C 109 initially ($lambda_{Edd} >$ 2.09). However, we do not find any evidence for strong reflection (R = $0.18 substack{+0.04 -0.03}$) or a steep power law index, as expected from a super-Eddington source. This puts the existing virial mass estimate of 2 $times 10^{8}$M$_{odot}$ into question. We explore additional ways of estimating the Eddington ratio, some of which we find to be inconsistent with our initial SED estimate. We obtain a new black hole mass estimate of 9.3 $times 10^{8}$M$_{odot}$, which brings all Eddington ratio estimates into agreement and does not require 3C 109 to be super-Eddington.
We present the results from a joint Suzaku/NuSTAR broad-band spectral analysis of 3C 390.3. The high quality data enables us to clearly separate the primary continuum from the reprocessed components allowing us to detect a high energy spectral cut-off ($E_text{cut}=117_{-14}^{+18}$ keV), and to place constraints on the Comptonization parameters of the primary continuum for the first time. The hard over soft compactness is 69$_{-24}^{+124}$ and the optical depth 4.1$_{-3.6}^{+0.5}$, this leads to an electron temperature of $30_{-8}^{+32}$ keV. Expanding our study of the Comptonization spectrum to the optical/UV by studying the simultaneous Swift-UVOT data, we find indications that the compactness of the corona allows only a small fraction of the total UV/optical flux to be Comptonized. Our analysis of the reprocessed emission show that 3C 390.3 only has a small amount of reflection (R~0.3), and of that the vast majority is from distant neutral matter. However we also discover a soft X-ray excess in the source, which can be described by a weak ionized reflection component from the inner parts of the accretion disk. In addition to the backscattered emission, we also detect the highly ionized iron emission lines Fe XXV and Fe XXVI.
We present an ASCA observation of the broad line radio galaxy 3C111. The X-ray spectrum is well described by a model consisting of a photoelectrically-absorbed power-law form. The inferred absorbing column density is significantly greater than expected on the basis of 21-cm measurements of Galactic HI. Whilst this may be due intrinsic absorption from a circumnuclear torus or highly warped accretion disk, inhomogeneities and molecular gas within the foreground giant molecular cloud may also be responsible for some of this excess absorption. We also claim a marginal detection of a broad iron Ka line which is well explained as being a fluorescent line originating from the central regions of a radiatively-efficient accretion disk. This line appears weak in comparison to those found in (radio-quiet) Seyfert nuclei. We briefly discuss the implications of this fact.
During 1995, the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 is the subject of a multi-wavelength monitoring campaign comprised of ROSAT HRI, IUE, and ground based optical, infrared and radio observations. We report preliminary results from the monitoring campaign focusing on the X-ray observations. Snapshot ROSAT observations being made every three days show large amplitude variability. The light curve is dominated by a flare near JD 2449800 characterized by a doubling time scale of 9 days and a general increase in flux after the flare. The optical R and I band light curves show a general increase in flux. The ASCA spectra obtained before and after the flare can be described by an absorbed power law. Spectral variability between the two observations is characterized by an increase in power law index by $DeltaGamma sim 0.08$ at higher flux.
We carried out photometric and spectroscopic observations of the well-studied broad-line radio galaxy 3C 120 with the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) global robotic telescope network from 2016 December to 2018 April as part of the LCO AGN Key Project on Reverberation Mapping of Accretion Flows. Here, we present both spectroscopic and photometric reverberation mapping results. We used the interpolated cross-correlation function (ICCF) to perform multiple-line lag measurements in 3C 120. We find the H$gamma$, He II $lambda 4686$, H$beta$ and He I $lambda 5876$ lags of $tau_{text{cen}} = 18.8_{-1.0}^{+1.3}$, $2.7_{-0.8}^{+0.7}$, $21.2_{-1.0}^{+1.6}$, and $16.9_{-1.1}^{+0.9}$ days respectively, relative to the V-band continuum. Using the measured lag and rms velocity width of the H$beta$ emission line, we determine the mass of the black hole for 3C 120 to be $M=left(6.3^{+0.5}_{-0.3}right)times10^7,(f/5.5)$ M$_odot$. Our black hole mass measurement is consistent with similar previous studies on 3C 120, but with small uncertainties. In addition, velocity-resolved lags in 3C 120 show a symmetric pattern across the H$beta$ line, 25 days at line centre decreasing to 17 days in the line wings at $pm4000$ km s$^{-1}$. We also investigate the inter-band continuum lags in 3C 120 and find that they are generally consistent with $tauproptolambda^{4/3}$ as predicted from a geometrically-thin, optically-thick accretion disc. From the continuum lags, we measure the best fit value $tau_{rm 0} = 3.5pm 0.2$ days at $lambda_{rm 0} = 5477$A. It implies a disc size a factor of $1.6$ times larger than prediction from the standard disc model with $L/L_{rm Edd} = 0.4$. This is consistent with previous studies in which larger than expected disc sizes were measured.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
