No Arabic abstract
In modeling the X-ray spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the inclination angle is a parameter that can play an important role in analyzing the X-ray spectra of AGN, but it has never been studied in detail. We present a broadband X-ray spectral analysis of the joint NuSTAR-XMM-Newton observations of 13 sources with [OIII] measured inclinations determined by Fischer et al. 2013. By freezing the inclination angles at the [OIII] measured values when modeling the observations, the spectra are well fitted and the geometrical properties of the obscuring structure of the AGNs are slightly better constrained than those fitted when the inclination angles are left free to vary. We also test if one could freeze the inclinations at other specific angles in fitting the AGN X-ray spectra as commonly did in the literatures. We find that one should always let the inclination angle free to vary in modeling the X-ray spectra of AGNs, while fixing the inclination angle at [OIII] measured values and fixing the inclination angle at 60$^circ$ also present correct fits of the sources in our sample.Correlations between the covering factor and the average column density of the obscuring torus with respect to the Eddington ratio are also measured, suggesting that the distribution of the material in the obscuring torus is regulated by the Eddington ratio, which is in agreement with previous studies. In addition, no geometrical correlation is found between the narrow line region of the AGN and the obscuring torus, suggesting that the geometry might be more complex than what is assumed in the simplistic unified model.
The soft X-ray band of many active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is affected by obscuration due to partially ionised matter crossing our line of sight. In this context, two past XMM-Newton observations (6 months apart) and a simultaneous NuSTAR-Swift ($sim$8 years later) exposure of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy 1E 0754.6+392.8 revealed an intense and variable WA and hints of additional absorbers in the Fe K$alpha$ band. We present the first X-ray characterisation of this AGN discussing its broadband (0.3-79 keV) spectrum and temporal properties. We conduct a temporal and spectroscopic analysis on two $sim$10 ks (net exposure) XMM-Newton snapshots performed in April and October 2006. We also study the high energy behaviour of 1E 0754.6+392.8 modelling its broadband spectrum using simultaneous Swift-NuSTAR data. Both phenomenological and physically motivated models are tested. We find the presence of flux variability ($sim$150% and 30% for 0.3-2 and 2-10 keV bands, respectively) and spectral changes at months timescales ($DeltaGammasim$0.4). A reflection component that is consistent with being constant over years and arising from relatively cold material far from the central super massive black hole is detected. The main spectral feature shaping the 1E 0754.6+392.8 spectrum is a warm absorber. Such a component is persistent over the years and variability of its ionisation and column density is observed down on months in the ranges 3$times10^{22} rm cm^{-2}lesssim$ N$_{rm{H}}lesssim7.2times10^{22} rm cm^{-2}$ and 1.5 $lesssimlog(xi/{rm erg~s^{-1}~cm})lesssim$2.1. Despite the short exposures, we find possible evidence of two additional highly ionised and high-velocity outflow components in absorption. Longer exposures are mandatory in order to characterise the complex outflow in this AGN.
We present here a combined analysis of four high spectral resolution observations of the Diffuse X-ray Background (DXRB), made using the University of Wisconsin-Madison/Goddard Space Flight Center X-ray Quantum Calorimeter (XQC) sounding rocket payload. The observed spectra support the existence of a $sim0.1~$keV Local Hot Bubble and a $sim0.2~$keV Hot Halo, with discrepancies between repeated observations compatible with expected contributions of time-variable emission from Solar Wind Charge Exchange (SWCX). An additional component of $sim0.9~$keV emission observed only at low galactic latitudes can be consistently explained by unresolved dM stars.
The aim of this paper is to study the stellar population of galaxies hosting an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We studied a sub-sample of hard X-ray emitting AGNs from the INTEGRAL and Swift catalogs which were previously identified and characterized through optical spectroscopy. Our analysis provides complementary information, namely age and metallicity, which is necessary to complete the panoramic view of such interesting objects. We selected hard X-ray emitting objects identified as AGNs by checking their optical spectra in search for absorption lines suitable for the stellar population analysis. We obtained a final sample consisting of 20 objects with redshift lower than 0.3. We used the full-spectrum fitting method and, in particular, the penalized pixel one applying the PPXF code. After masking all the regions affected by emission lines, we fitted the spectra with the MILES single stellar population templates and we derived mass-weighted ages and metallicities. Most of the objects in our sample show an old stellar population, but three of them are characterized by a bimodal distribution with a non negligible contribution from young stars. The values of the mass-weighted metallicity span a large range of metallicity with most of them slightly above the solar value. No relations between the stellar population properties and the morphological ones have been found.
We present Chandra snapshot observations of the first large X-ray sample of optically identified fossil groups. For 9 of 14 candidate groups, we are able to determine the X-ray luminosity and temperature, which span a range typical of large ellipticals to rich groups of galaxies. We discuss these initial results in the context of group IGM and central galaxy ISM evolution, and we also describe plans for a deep X-ray follow-up program.
We present results from sensitive, multi-epoch NuSTAR observations of the late-type star-forming galaxy M83 (d=4.6 Mpc), which is the first investigation to spatially resolve the hard (E>10 keV) X-ray emission of this galaxy. The nuclear region and ~ 20 off-nuclear point sources, including a previously discovered ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source, are detected in our NuSTAR observations. The X-ray hardnesses and luminosities of the majority of the point sources are consistent with hard X-ray sources resolved in the starburst galaxy NGC 253. We infer that the hard X-ray emission is most likely dominated by intermediate accretion state black hole binaries and neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries (Z-sources). We construct the X-ray binary luminosity function (XLF) in the NuSTAR band for an extragalactic environment for the first time. The M83 XLF has a steeper XLF than the X-ray binary XLF in NGC 253, consistent with previous measurements by Chandra at softer X-ray energies. The NuSTAR integrated galaxy spectrum of M83 drops quickly above 10 keV, which is also seen in the starburst galaxies NGC253, NGC 3310 and NGC 3256. The NuSTAR observations constrain any AGN to be either highly obscured or to have an extremely low luminosity of $_{sim}^<$10$^{38}$ erg/s (10-30 keV), implying it is emitting at a very low Eddington ratio. An X-ray point source consistent with the location of the nuclear star cluster with an X-ray luminosity of a few times 10$^{38}$ erg/s may be a low-luminosity AGN but is more consistent with being an X-ray binary.