1,462 research outputs found
Power density spectrum of NGC 5548 and the nature of its variability
We derive power density spectra in the optical and X-ray band in the
timescale range from several years down to a day. We suggest that the
optical power density spectrum consists of two separate components: long
timescale variations and short timescale variations, with the dividing
timescale around 100 days. The shape of the short timescale component is
similar to X-ray power density spectrum which is consistent with the
interpretation of short timescale optical variations being caused by X-ray
reprocessing. We show that the observed optical long timescale variability is
consistent with thermal pulsations of the accretion disc.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Societ
Time-resolved multicolour photometry of bright B-type variable stars in Scorpius
The first two of a total of six nano-satellites that will constitute the
BRITE-Constellation space photometry mission have recently been launched
successfully. In preparation for this project, we carried out time-resolved
colour photometry in a field that is an excellent candidate for BRITE
measurements from space. We acquired 117 h of Stromgren uvy data during 19
nights. Our targets comprised the Beta Cephei stars Kappa and Lambda Sco, the
eclipsing binary Mu 1 Sco, and the variable super/hypergiant Zeta 1 Sco. For
Kappa Sco, a photometric mode identification in combination with results from
the spectroscopic literature suggests a dominant (l, m) = (1, -1) Beta
Cephei-type pulsation mode of the primary star. The longer period of the star
may be a rotational variation or a g-mode pulsation. For Lambda Sco, we recover
the known dominant Beta Cephei pulsation, a longer-period variation, and
observed part of an eclipse. Lack of ultraviolet data precludes mode
identification for this star. We noticed that the spectroscopic orbital
ephemeris of the closer pair in this triple system is inconsistent with eclipse
timings and propose a refined value for the orbital period of the closer pair
of 5.95189 +/- 0.00003 d. We also argue that the components of the Lambda Sco
system are some 30% more massive than previously thought. The binary light
curve solution of Mu 1 Sco requires inclusion of the irradiation effect to
explain the u light curve, and the system could show additional low amplitude
variations on top of the orbital light changes. Zeta 1 Sco shows long-term
variability on a time scale of at least two weeks that we prefer to interpret
in terms of a variable wind or strange mode pulsations.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 3 Tables, accepted by A&
The structure and radiation spectra of illuminated accretion discs in AGN. I. Moderate illumination
We present detailed computations of the vertical structure of an accretion
disc illuminated by hard X-ray radiation with the code {\sc titan-noar}
suitable for Compton thick media. The energy generated via accretion is
dissipated partially in the cold disc as well as in the X-ray source. We study
the differences between the case where the X-ray source is in the form of a
lamp post above the accretion disc and the case of a heavy corona. We consider
radiative heating via Comptonization together with heating via photo-absorption
on numerous heavy elements as carbon, oxygen, silicon, iron. The transfer in
lines is precisely calculated. A better description of the heating/cooling
through the inclusion of line transfer, a correct description of the
temperature in the deeper layers, a correct description of the entire disc
vertical structure, as well as the study of the possible coronal pressure
effect, constitute an improvement in comparison to previous works. We show that
exact calculations of hydrostatic equilibrium and determination of the disc
thickness has a crucial impact on the optical depth of the hot illuminated
zone. We assume a moderate illumination where the viscous flux equals the X-ray
radiation flux. A highly ionized skin is created in the lamp post model, with
the outgoing spectrum containing many emission lines and ionization edges in
emission or absorption in the soft X-ray domain, as well as an iron line at
keV consisting of a blend of low ionization line from the deepest
layers and hydrogen and helium like resonance line from the upper layers, and
almost no absorption edge, contrary to the case of a slab of constant density.A
full heavy corona completely suppresses the highly ionized zone on the top of
the accretion disc and in such case the spectrum is featureless.Comment: 16 pages, 20 figures, corrected two sentences, accepted by MNRA
Response of the warm absorber cloud to a variable nuclear flux in active galactic nuclei
Recent modeling of the warm absorber in active galactic nuclei has proved the
usefulness of constant total (gas plus radiation) pressure models, which are
highly stratified in temperature and density. We explore the consistency of
those models when the typical variation of the flux from the central source is
taken into account. We perform a variability study of the warm absorber
response, based on timescales and our photoionization code TITAN. We show that
the ionization and recombination timescales are much shorter than the dynamical
timescale. Clouds very close to the central black hole will maintain their
equilibrium since the characteristic variability timescales of the nuclear
source are longer than cloud timescales. For more distant clouds, the density
structure has no time to vary, in response to the variations of the temperature
or ionization structure, and such clouds will show the departure from the
constant pressure equilibrium. We explore the impact of this departure on the
observed properties of the transmitted spectrum and soft X-ray variability: (i)
non uniform velocities, of the order of sound speed, appear due to pressure
gradients, up to typical values of 100 km/s. These velocities lead to the
broadening of lines. This broadening is usually observed and very difficult to
explain otherwise. (ii) Energy-dependent fractional variability amplitude in
soft X-ray range has a broader hump around ~ 1-2 keV, and (iv) the plot of the
equivalent hydrogen column density vs. ionization parameter is steeper than for
equilibrium clouds. The results have the character of a preliminary study and
should be supplemented in the future with full time-dependent radiation
transfer and dynamical computations.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication by Astronomy &
Astrophysic
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