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Register a new userA Full Characterisation of the Supermassive Black Hole in IRAS 09149-6206
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We present new broadband X-ray observations of the type-I Seyfert galaxy IRAS 09149-6206, taken in 2018 with $XMM$-$Newton$, $NuSTAR$ and $Swift$. The source is highly complex, showing a classic warm X-ray absorber, additional absorption from highly ionised iron, strong relativistic reflection from the innermost accretion disc and further reprocessing by more distant material. By combining X-ray timing and spectroscopy, we have been able to fully characterise the supermassive black hole in this system, constraining both its mass and - for the first time - its spin. The mass is primarily determined by X-ray timing constraints on the break frequency seen in the power spectrum, and is found to be $log[M_{rm{BH}}/M_{odot}] = 8.0 pm 0.6$ (1$sigma$ uncertainties). This is in good agreement with previous estimates based on the H$alpha$ and H$beta$ line widths, and implies that IRAS 09149-6206 is radiating at close to (but still below) its Eddington luminosity. The spin is constrained via detailed modelling of the relativistic reflection, and is found to be $a^* = 0.94^{+0.02}_{-0.07}$ (90% confidence), adding IRAS 09149-6206 to the growing list of radio-quiet AGN that host rapidly rotating black holes. The outflow velocities of the various absorption components are all relatively modest ($v_{rm{out}} lesssim 0.03c$), implying these are unlikely to drive significant galaxy-scale AGN feedback.
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We present new near-infrared VLTI/GRAVITY interferometric spectra that spatially resolve the broad Br$gamma$ emission line in the nucleus of the active galaxy IRAS 09149-6206. We use these data to measure the size of the broad line region (BLR) and estimate the mass of the central black hole. Using an improved phase calibration method that reduces the differential phase uncertainty to 0.05 degree per baseline across the spectrum, we detect a differential phase signal that reaches a maximum of ~0.5 degree between the line and continuum. This represents an offset of ~120 $mu$as (0.14 pc) between the BLR and the centroid of the hot dust distribution traced by the 2.3 $mu$m continuum. The offset is well within the dust sublimation region, which matches the measured ~0.6 mas (0.7 pc) diameter of the continuum. A clear velocity gradient, almost perpendicular to the offset, is traced by the reconstructed photocentres of the spectral channels of the Br$gamma$ line. We infer the radius of the BLR to be ~65 $mu$as (0.075 pc), which is consistent with the radius-luminosity relation of nearby active galactic nuclei derived based on the time lag of the H$beta$ line from reverberation mapping campaigns. Our dynamical modelling indicates the black hole mass is $sim 1times10^8,M_odot$, which is a little below, but consistent with, the standard $M_{rm BH}$-$sigma_*$ relation.
Acceleration of protons in the active galactic nuclei is considered. The largest energy is achieved by protons during centrifugal acceleration in the magnetosphere of the central machine. When the proton accelerated in the magnetosphere of a black hole approaches light cylinder surface, acceleration occurs mainly in the azimuthal direction, i.e. the acceleration is centrifugal. In this paper the acceleration of a proton having smaller synchrotron losses compared to the electron is considered. As a proton experiences the highest energy increase while accelerating near the light surface, a partial solution for the maximum Lorentz factor can be obtained there. In the analysis the obtained dependence of the maximum energy on the parameter of particle magnetization $ kappa $ and parameter $ alpha $ which reflects the relation of toroidal $ B_phi $ and poloidal $ B_T $ magnetic fields , has led to the conclusion that the achievement of theoretical maximum limit of Lorentz factor value $ gamma_m=kappa^{-1}$ is not possible for an accelerated particle in the magnetosphere of a black hole due to restrictions of the topology of toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields imposed. The analysis of special cases of the relation of toroidal and poloidal magnetic field has shown that in the presence of magnetic field that is significantly more toroidal the maximum Lorentz factor value reaches $gamma_m = kappa^ {-2/3} $, in case when toroidal field becomes smaller in comparison to poloidal field the maximum Lorentz factor value does not exceed $gamma_m = kappa^ {-1/2} $. For a number of objects, such as M87 and Sgr. A *, maximum Lorentz factor values for accelerated protons for scenarios of existence or lack of toroidal magnetic field have been derived. The obtained results for magnetosphere of Sgr. A * has confirmed by the experimental data obtained on the massive HESS of Cherenkov telescopes.
The centrifugal acceleration is due to the rotating poloidal magnetic field in the magnetosphere creates the electric field which is orthogonal to the magnetic field. Charged particles with finite cyclotron radii can move along the electric field and receive energy. Centrifugal acceleration pushes particles to the periphery, where their azimuthal velocity reaches the light speed. We have calculated particle trajectories by numerical and analytical methods. The maximum obtained energies depend on the parameter of the particle magnetization $ kappa $, which is the ratio of rotation frequency of magnetic field lines in the magnetosphere $ Omega_F $ to non-relativistic cyclotron frequency of particles $ omega_c $, $ kappa = Omega_F /omega_c << 1 $, and from the parameter $ alpha $ which is the ratio of toroidal magnetic field $ B_T $ to the poloidal one $ B_P $, $ alpha = B_T / B_P $. It is shown that for small toroidal fields, $ alpha <kappa^{1/4} $, the maximum Lorentz factor $ gamma_m $ is only the square root of magnetization, $ gamma_m = kappa^{-1/2} $, while for large toroidal fields, $ alpha >kappa^{1/4} $, the energy increases significantly, $ gamma_m = kappa^{-2/3} $. However, the maximum possible acceleration, $ gamma_m = kappa^{-1} $, is not achieved in the magnetosphere. For a number of active galactic nuclei, such as M87, maximum values of Lorentz factor for accelerated protons are found. Also for special case of Sgr. A* estimations of the maximum proton energy and its energy flux are obtained. They are in agreement with experimental data obtained by HESS Cherenkov telescope.
Understanding the processes that drive galaxy formation and shape the observed properties of galaxies is one of the most interesting and challenging frontier problems of modern astrophysics. We now know that the evolution of galaxies is critically shaped by the energy injection from accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs). However, it is unclear how exactly the physics of this feedback process affects galaxy formation and evolution. In particular, a major challenge is unraveling how the energy released near the SMBHs is distributed over nine orders of magnitude in distance throughout galaxies and their immediate environments. The best place to study the impact of SMBH feedback is in the hot atmospheres of massive galaxies, groups, and galaxy clusters, which host the most massive black holes in the Universe, and where we can directly image the impact of black holes on their surroundings. We identify critical questions and potential measurements that will likely transform our understanding of the physics of SMBH feedback and how it shapes galaxies, through detailed measurements of (i) the thermodynamic and velocity fluctuations in the intracluster medium (ICM) as well as (ii) the composition of the bubbles inflated by SMBHs in the centers of galaxy clusters, and their influence on the cluster gas and galaxy growth, using the next generation of high spectral and spatial resolution X-ray and microwave telescopes.
We study a model in which supermassive black holes (SMBHs) can grow by the combined action of gas accretion on heavy seeds and mergers of both heavy (m_s^h=10^5 Msol) and light (m_s^l = 10^2 Msol) seeds. The former result from the direct collapse of gas in T_s^h >1.5x10^4K, H_2-free halos; the latter are the endproduct of a standard H_2-based star formation process. The H_2-free condition is attained by exposing halos to a strong (J_21 > 10^3) Lyman-Werner UV background produced by both accreting BHs and stars, thus establishing a self-regulated growth regime. We find that this condition is met already at z close to 18 in the highly biased regions in which quasars are born. The key parameter allowing the formation of SMBHs by z=6-7 is the fraction of halos that can form heavy seeds: the minimum requirement is that f_heavy>0.001; SMBH as large as 2x10^10 Msol can be obtained when f_heavy approaches unity. Independently of f_heavy, the model produces a high-z stellar bulge-black hole mass relation which is steeper than the local one, implying that SMBHs formed before their bulge was in place. The formation of heavy seeds, allowed by the Lyman-Werner radiative feedback in the quasar-forming environment, is crucial to achieve a fast growth of the SMBH by merger events in the early phases of its evolution, i.e. z>7. The UV photon production is largely dominated by stars in galaxies, i.e. black hole accretion radiation is sub-dominant. Interestingly, we find that the final mass of light BHs and of the SMBH in the quasar is roughly equal by z=6; by the same time only 19% of the initial baryon content has been converted into stars. The SMBH growth is dominated at all epochs z > 7.2 by mergers (exceeding accretion by a factor 2-50); at later times accretion becomes by far the most important growth channel. We finally discuss possible shortcomings of the model.
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