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Register a new userStratified disc wind models for the AGN broad-line region: ultraviolet, optical and X-ray properties
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The origin, geometry and kinematics of the broad line region (BLR) gas in quasars and active galactic nuclei (AGN) are uncertain. We demonstrate that clumpy biconical disc winds illuminated by an AGN continuum can produce BLR-like spectra. We first use a simple toy model to illustrate that disc winds make quite good BLR candidates, because they are self-shielded flows and can cover a large portion of the ionizing flux-density ($phi_H$-$n_H$) plane. We then conduct Monte Carlo radiative transfer and photoionization calculations, which fully account for self-shielding and multiple scattering in a non-spherical geometry. The emergent model spectra show broad emission lines with equivalent widths and line ratios comparable to those observed in AGN, provided that the wind has a volume filling factor of $f_Vlesssim0.1$. Similar emission line spectra are produced for a variety of wind geometries (polar or equatorial) and for launch radii that differ by an order of magnitude. The line emission arises almost exclusively from plasma travelling below the escape velocity, implying that `failed winds are important BLR candidates. The behaviour of a line-emitting wind (and possibly any `smooth flow BLR model) is similar to that of the locally optimally-emitting cloud (LOC) model originally proposed by Baldwin et al (1995), except that the gradients in ionization state and temperature are large-scale and continuous, rather than within or between distinct clouds. Our models also produce UV absorption lines and X-ray absorption features, and the stratified ionization structure can partially explain the different classes of broad absorption line quasars.
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We use a 380 ks XMM-Newton high-resolution RGS spectrum to look for narrow spectral features from the nuclear environment of 1H0707-495. We do not find any evidence of a line-of-sight ionized wind (warm absorber). We do, however, detect broad emission lines, of width ~5000 km s^-1, consistent with O VIII Ly-alpha, N VII Ly-alpha, C VI Ly-alpha and a Fe XIX/Fe XX/Ne IX He-alpha blend. Intriguingly, these lines have both blueshifted and redshifted components, whose velocity shifts are consistent with an origin in an accretion disc at ~1600 R_g from the black hole. The features can be interpreted as the narrow line cores of the disc reflection spectrum, thus providing independent support for the discline interpretation of the X-ray spectrum of 1H0707-495. We discuss the relevance of our findings for the `X-ray broad line region in other Seyferts, and for the origins of the optical broad line region itself.
The SINFONI survey for Unveiling the Physics and Effect of Radiative feedback (SUPER) was designed to conduct a blind search for AGN-driven outflows on X-ray selected AGN at redshift z$sim$2 with high ($sim$2 kpc) spatial resolution, and correlate them to the properties of the host galaxy and central black hole. The main aims of this paper are: a) to derive reliable estimates for the BH mass and accretion rates for the Type-1 AGN in this survey; b) to characterize the properties of the AGN driven winds in the BLR. We analyzed rest-frame optical and UV spectra of 21 Type-1 AGN. We found that the BH masses estimated from H$alpha$ and H$beta$ lines are in agreement. We estimate BH masses in the range Log(M$rm_{BH}/M_{odot}$)=8.4-10.8 and Eddington ratios $rmlambda_{Edd}$ =0.04-1.3. We confirm that the CIV line width does not correlate with the Balmer lines and the peak of the line profile is blue-shifted with respect to the [OIII]-based systemic redshift. These findings support the idea that the CIV line is tracing outflowing gas in the BLR, with velocities up to $sim$4700 km/s. We confirm the strong dependence of the BLR wind velocity with the UV-to-Xray continuum slope, L$rm_{Bol}$ and $rmlambda_{Edd}$. We inferred BLR mass outflow rates in the range 0.005-3 M$_{odot}$/yr, showing a correlation with the bolometric luminosity consistent with that observed for ionized winds in the NLR and X-ray winds detected in local AGN, and kinetic power $sim$10$^{[-7:-4]}times$ L$rm_{Bol}$. Finally, we found an anti-correlation between the equivalent width of the [OIII] line with respect to the CIV shift, and a positive correlation with [OIII] outflow velocity. These findings, for the first time in an unbiased sample of AGN at z$sim$2, support a scenario where BLR winds are connected to galaxy scale detected outflows, and are capable of affecting the gas in the NLR located at kpc scale.
We present the results of the long-term optical monitoring campaign of active galactic nuclei (AGN) coordinated by the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Science. This campaign has produced a remarkable set of optical spectra, since we have monitored for several decades different types of broad-line (type 1) AGN, from a Seyfert 1, double-peaked line, radio loud and radio quiet AGN, to a supermassive binary black hole candidate. Our analysis of the properties of the broad line region (BLR) of these objects is based on the variability of the broad emission lines. We hereby give a comparative review of the variability properties of the broad emission lines and the BLR of seven different type 1 AGNs, emphasizing some important results, such as the variability rate, the BLR geometry, and the presence of the intrinsic Baldwin effect. We are discussing the difference and similarity in the continuum and emission line variability, focusing on what is the impact of our results to the supermassive black hole mass determination from the BLR properties.
We present an analysis of the narrow Fe K-alpha line in Chandra/HETGS observations of the Seyfert AGN, NGC 4151. The sensitivity and resolution afforded by the gratings reveal asymmetry in this line. Models including weak Doppler boosting, gravitational red-shifts, and scattering are generally preferred over Gaussians at the 5 sigma level of confidence, and generally measure radii consistent with R ~ 500-1000 GM/c^2. Separate fits to high/unobscured and low/obscured phases reveal that the line originates at smaller radii in high flux states; model-independent tests indicate that this effect is significant at the 4-5 sigma level. Some models and Delta t ~ 2 E+4 s variations in line flux suggest that the narrow Fe K-alpha line may originate at radii as small as R ~ 50-130 GM/c^2 in high flux states. These results indicate that the narrow Fe K-alpha line in NGC 4151 is primarily excited in the innermost part of the optical broad line region (BLR), or X-ray BLR. Alternatively, a warp could provide the solid angle needed to enhance Fe K-alpha line emission from intermediate radii, and might resolve an apparent discrepancy in the inclination of the innermost and outer disk in NGC 4151. Both warps and the BLR may originate through radiation pressure, so these explanations may be linked. We discuss our results in detail, and consider the potential for future observations with Chandra, XARM, and ATHENA to measure black hole masses and to study the intermediate disk in AGN using narrow Fe K-alpha emission lines.
A strong X-ray outburst was detected in HE1136-2304 in 2014. Accompanying optical spectra revealed that the spectral type has changed from a nearly Seyfert 2 type (1.95), classified by spectra taken 10 and 20 years ago, to a Seyfert 1.5 in our most recent observations. We seek to investigate a detailed spectroscopic campaign on the spectroscopic properties and spectral variability behavior of this changing look AGN and compare this to other variable Seyfert galaxies. We carried out a detailed spectroscopic variability campaign of HE1136-2304 with the 10 m Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) between 2014 December and 2015 July. The broad-line region (BLR) of HE1136-2304 is stratified with respect to the distance of the line-emitting regions. The integrated emission line intensities of Halpha, Hbeta, HeI 5876, and HeII 4686 originate at distances of 15.0 (+4.2,-3.8), 7.5 (+4.6,-5.7), 7.3 (+2.8,-4.4), and 3.0 (+5.3,-3.7) light days with respect to the optical continuum at 4570AA. The variability amplitudes of the integrated emission lines are a function of distance to the ionizing continuum source as well. We derived a central black hole mass of 3.8 (+-3.1) 10exp(7) M_solar based on the line widths and distances of the BLR. The outer line wings of all BLR lines respond much faster to continuum variations indicating a Keplerian disk component for the BLR. The response in the outer wings is about two light days shorter than the response of the adjacent continuum flux with respect to the ionizing continuum flux. The vertical BLR structure in HE1136-2304 confirms a general trend that the emission lines of narrow line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) originate at larger distances from the midplane in comparison to AGNs showing broader emission lines. Otherwise, the variability behavior of this changing look AGN is similar to that of other AGN.
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