No Arabic abstract
The discovery of $gamma$-ray emission from radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) galaxies has questioned the need for large black hole masses (> 10$^8$ M$_{odot}$) to launch relativistic jets. We present near-infrared data of the $gamma$-ray-emitting NLSy1 FBQS J1644+2619 that were collected using the camera CIRCE (Canarias InfraRed Camera Experiment) at the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias to investigate the structural properties of its host galaxy and to infer the black hole mass. The 2D surface brightness profile is modelled by the combination of a nuclear and a bulge component with a Sersic profile with index $n$ = 3.7, indicative of an elliptical galaxy. The structural parameters of the host are consistent with the correlations of effective radius and surface brightness against absolute magnitude measured for elliptical galaxies. From the bulge luminosity, we estimated a black hole mass of (2.1$pm$0.2) $times$10$^8$ M$_{odot}$, consistent with the values characterizing radio-loud active galactic nuclei.
The detection of gamma-ray emission from narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLSy1) has challenged the idea that large black hole (BH) masses ($ge$10$^8$ M$_{odot}$) are needed to launch relativistic jets. We present near-infrared imaging data of the gamma-ray-emitting NLSy1 PKS 1502+036 obtained with the Very Large Telescope. Its surface brightness profile, extending to $sim$ 20 kpc, is well described by the combination of a nuclear component and a bulge with a Sersic index $n$ = 3.5, which is indicative of an elliptical galaxy. A circumnuclear structure observed near PKS 1502+036 may be the result of galaxy interactions. A BH mass of about $sim 7 times 10^{8}$ M$_{odot}$ has been estimated by the bulge luminosity. The presence of an additional faint disc component cannot be ruled out with the present data, but this would reduce the BH mass estimate by only $sim$ 30%. These results, together with analogous findings obtained for FBQS J1644+2619, indicate that the relativistic jets in gamma-ray-emitting NLSy1 are likely produced by massive black holes at the center of elliptical galaxies.
A small fraction of Narrow Line Seyfert 1s (NLSy1s) are observed to be gamma-ray emitters. Understanding the properties of these sources is of interest since the majority of NLSy1s are very different from typical blazars. Here, we present a multi-frequency analysis of FBQS J1644+2619, one of the most recently discovered gamma-ray emitting NLSy1s. We analyse an ~80 ks XMM-Newton observation obtained in 2017, as well as quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength observations covering the radio - gamma-ray range. The spectral energy distribution of the source is similar to the other gamma-ray NLSy1s, confirming its blazar-like nature. The X-ray spectrum is characterised by a hard photon index (Gamma = 1.66) above 2 keV and a soft excess at lower energies.The hard photon index provides clear evidence that inverse Compton emission from the jet dominates the spectrum, while the soft excess can be explained by a contribution from the underlying Seyfert emission. This contribution can be fitted by reflection of emission from the base of the jet, as well as by Comptonisation in a warm, optically thick corona. We discuss our results in the context of the other gamma-ray NLSy1s and note that the majority of them have similar X-ray spectra, with properties intermediate between blazars and radio-quiet NLSy1s.
We present a multi-frequency study of PKS J1222$+$0413 (4C$+$04.42), currently the highest redshift $gamma$-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 ($gamma$-NLS1). We assemble a broad spectral energy distribution (SED) including previously unpublished datasets: X-ray data obtained with the NuSTAR and Neil Gehrels Swift observatories; near-infrared, optical and UV spectroscopy obtained with VLT X-shooter; and multiband radio data from the Effelsberg telescope. These new observations are supplemented by archival data from the literature. We apply physical models to the broadband SED, parameterising the accretion flow and jet emission to investigate the disc-jet connection. PKS J1222$+$0413 has a much greater black hole mass than most other NLS1s, $M_mathrm{BH}approx2times10^{8}$ M$_odot$, similar to those found in flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Therefore this source provides insight into how the jets of $gamma$-NLS1s relate to those of FSRQs.
The detection of several radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope hints at the existence of a rare, new class of gamma-ray emitting active galactic nuclei with low black hole masses. Like flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), their gamma-ray emission is thought to be produced via the external Compton mechanism whereby relativistic jet electrons upscatter a photon field external to the jet, e.g. from the accretion disc, broad line region (BLR) and dusty torus, to higher energies. Here we study the origin of the gamma-ray emission in the lowest-redshift candidate among the currently-known gamma-ray emitting NLS1s, 1H 0323+342, and take a new approach. We observationally constrain the external photon field using quasi-simultaneous near-IR, optical and X-ray spectroscopy. Applying a one-zone leptonic jet model, we simulate the range of jet parameters for which this photon field, when Compton scattered to higher energies, can explain the gamma-ray emission. We find that the site of the gamma-ray emission lies well within the BLR and that the seed photons mainly originate from the accretion disc. The jet power that we determine, $1.0 times 10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$, is approximately half the accretion disc luminosity. We show that this object is not simply a low-mass FSRQ, its jet is intrinsically less powerful than predicted by scaling a typical FSRQ jet by black hole mass and accretion rate. That gamma-ray emitting NLS1s appear to host underpowered jets may go some way to explaining why so few have been detected to date.
The gamma-ray emitting galaxy SBS 0846+513 has been classified as a Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 from its spectroscopy, and on that basis it was thought likely to have a small central black hole hosted in a spiral galaxy. But very few of the gamma-ray Narrow-Line Seyfert 1s have high-resolution imaging of their hosts, so it is unknown how those expectations hold up for the gamma-emitting class. We have observed this galaxy in the J-band with the Large Binocular Telescopes LUCI1 camera and the ARGOS adaptive optics system. We estimate its black hole mass to lie between $7.70 leq log frac{text{M}}{text{M}_odot} leq 8.19$, using the correlation with bulge luminosity, or $7.96 leq log frac{text{M}}{text{M}_odot} leq 8.16$ using the correlation with S{e}rsic index, putting its mass at the high end of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 range. These estimates are independent of the Broad Line Region viewing geometry and avoid underestimates due to looking down the jet axis. Its host shows evidence of a bulge + disc structure, both from two-dimensional modeling and isophote shape, in keeping with the expectations. Mergers and interactions appear to be common among the gamma-ray Narrow-Line Seyfert 1s, and we see some circumstantial evidence for companion galaxies or disturbed features in the host.