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The 450 days X-ray monitoring of the changing-look AGN 1ES 1927+654

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 نشر من قبل Claudio Ricci
 تاريخ النشر 2021
  مجال البحث فيزياء
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1ES 1927+654 is a nearby active galactic nucleus (AGN) which underwent a changing-look event in early 2018, developing prominent broad Balmer lines which were absent in previous observations. We have followed up this object in the X-rays with an ongoing campaign that started in May 2018, and that includes 265 NICER (for a total of 678ks) and 14 Swift/XRT (26ks) observations, as well as three simultaneous XMM-Newton/NuSTAR (158/169 ks) exposures. In the X-rays, 1ES 1927+654 shows a behaviour unlike any previously known AGN. The source is extremely variable both in spectral shape and flux, and does not show any correlation between X-ray and UV flux on timescales of hours or weeks/months. After the outburst the power-law component almost completely disappeared, and the source showed an extremely soft continuum dominated by a blackbody component. The temperature of the blackbody increases with the luminosity, going from $kTsim 80$eV (for a 0.3--2keV luminosity of $L_{0.3-2}sim 10^{41.5}rm,erg,s^{-1}$) to $sim 200$eV (for $L_{0.3-2}sim 10^{44}rm,erg,s^{-1}$). The spectra show evidence of ionized outflows, and of a prominent feature at $sim 1$keV, which can be reproduced by a broad emission line. The unique characteristics of 1ES 1927+654 in the X-ray band suggest that it belongs to a new type of changing-look AGN. Future X-ray surveys might detect several more objects with similar properties.

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We study the sudden optical and ultraviolet (UV) brightening of 1ES 1927+654, which until now was known as a narrow-line active galactic nucleus (AGN). 1ES 1927+654 was part of the small and peculiar class of true Type-2 AGN, which lack broad emissio n lines and line-of-sight obscuration. Our high-cadence spectroscopic monitoring captures the appearance of a blue, featureless continuum, followed several weeks later by the appearance of broad Balmer emission lines. This timescale is generally consistent with the expected light travel time between the central engine and the broad-line emission region in (persistent) broad-line AGN. Hubble Space Telescope spectroscopy reveals no evidence for broad UV emission lines (e.g., CIV1549, CIII]1909, MgII2798), probably owing to dust in the broad-line emission region. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case where the lag between the change in continuum and in broad-line emission of a changing-look AGN has been temporally resolved. The nature and timescales of the photometric and spectral evolution disfavor both a change in line-of-sight obscuration and a change of the overall rate of gas inflow as driving the drastic spectral transformations seen in this AGN. Although the peak luminosity and timescales are consistent with those of tidal disruption events seen in inactive galaxies, the spectral properties are not. The X-ray emission displays a markedly different behavior, with frequent flares on timescales of hours to days, and will be presented in a companion publication.
242 - L. C. Gallo 2013
1ES 1927+654 is an active galactic nucleus (AGN) that appears to defy the unification model. It exhibits a type-2 optical spectrum, but possesses little X-ray obscuration. XMM-Newton and Suzaku observations obtained in 2011 are used to study the X-ra y properties of 1ES 1927+654. The spectral energy distribution derived from simultaneous optical-to-X-ray data obtained with XMM-Newton shows the AGN has a typical Eddington ratio (L/L_Edd = 0.014-0.11). The X-ray spectrum and rapid variability are consistent with originating from a corona surrounding a standard accretion disc. Partial covering models can describe the x-ray data; however, the narrow Fe Ka emission line predicted from standard photoelectric absorption is not detected. Ionized partial covering also favours a high-velocity outflow (v ~ 0.3c), which requires the kinetic luminosity of the wind to be >30 per cent of the bolometric luminosity of the AGN. Such values are not unusual, but for 1ES 1927+654 it requires the wind is launched very close to the black hole (~ 10 Rg). Blurred reflection models also work well at describing the spectral and timing properties of 1ES 1927+654 if the AGN is viewed nearly edge-on, implying that an inner accretion disc must be present. The high inclination is intriguing as it suggests 1ES 1927+654 could be orientated like a Seyfert 2, in agreement with its optical classification, but viewed through a tenuous torus.
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