44 research outputs found

    Feeding and Feedback in the Powerful Radio Galaxy 3C 120

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    We present the spectral analysis of a 200~ks observation of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C~120 performed with the high energy transmission grating (HETG) spectrometer on board the \emph{Chandra} X-ray Observatory. We find (i) a neutral absorption component intrinsic to the source with column density of logNH=20.67±0.05\text{log}N_H = 20.67\pm0.05~cm−2^{-2}, (ii) no evidence for a warm absorber with an upper limit on the column density of just logNH<19.7\text{log}N_H < 19.7~cm−2^{-2} assuming the typical ionization parameter logΟ\xi≃\simeq2.5~erg~s−1^{-1}~cm, the warm absorber may instead be replaced by (iii) a hot emitting gas with temperature kT≃0.7kT \simeq 0.7~keV observed as soft X-ray emission from ionized Fe L-shell lines which may originate from a kpc scale shocked bubble inflated by the AGN wind or jet with a shock velocity of about 1,000~km~s−1^{-1} determined by the emission line width, (iv) a neutral Fe Kα\alpha line and accompanying emission lines indicative of a Compton-thick cold reflector with low reflection fraction R≃0.2R\simeq0.2, suggesting a large opening angle of the torus, (v) a highly ionized Fe~XXV emission feature indicative of photoionized gas with ionization parameter logΟ\xi==3.75−0.38+0.273.75^{+0.27}_{-0.38}~erg~s−1^{-1}~cm and a column density of logNH>22\text{log}N_H > 22~cm−2^{-2} localized within ∌\sim2~pc from the X-ray source, and (vi) possible signatures for a highly ionized disk wind. Together with previous evidence for intense molecular line emission, these results indicate that 3C~120 is likely a late state merger undergoing strong AGN feedback.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

    X-ray Absorption and Reflection in Active Galactic Nuclei

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    X-ray spectroscopy offers an opportunity to study the complex mixture of emitting and absorbing components in the circumnuclear regions of active galactic nuclei, and to learn about the accretion process that fuels AGN and the feedback of material to their host galaxies. We describe the spectral signatures that may be studied and review the X-ray spectra and spectral variability of active galaxies, concentrating on progress from recent Chandra, XMM-Newton and Suzaku data for local type 1 AGN. We describe the evidence for absorption covering a wide range of column densities, ionization and dynamics, and discuss the growing evidence for partial-covering absorption from data at energies > 10 keV. Such absorption can also explain the observed X-ray spectral curvature and variability in AGN at lower energies and is likely an important factor in shaping the observed properties of this class of source. Consideration of self-consistent models for local AGN indicates that X-ray spectra likely comprise a combination of absorption and reflection effects from material originating within a few light days of the black hole as well as on larger scales. It is likely that AGN X-ray spectra may be strongly affected by the presence of disk-wind outflows that are expected in systems with high accretion rates, and we describe models that attempt to predict the effects of radiative transfer through such winds, and discuss the prospects for new data to test and address these ideas.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Review. 58 pages, 9 figures. V2 has fixed an error in footnote

    Supernova remnants: the X-ray perspective

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    Supernova remnants are beautiful astronomical objects that are also of high scientific interest, because they provide insights into supernova explosion mechanisms, and because they are the likely sources of Galactic cosmic rays. X-ray observations are an important means to study these objects.And in particular the advances made in X-ray imaging spectroscopy over the last two decades has greatly increased our knowledge about supernova remnants. It has made it possible to map the products of fresh nucleosynthesis, and resulted in the identification of regions near shock fronts that emit X-ray synchrotron radiation. In this text all the relevant aspects of X-ray emission from supernova remnants are reviewed and put into the context of supernova explosion properties and the physics and evolution of supernova remnants. The first half of this review has a more tutorial style and discusses the basics of supernova remnant physics and thermal and non-thermal X-ray emission. The second half offers a review of the recent advances.The topics addressed there are core collapse and thermonuclear supernova remnants, SN 1987A, mature supernova remnants, mixed-morphology remnants, including a discussion of the recent finding of overionization in some of them, and finally X-ray synchrotron radiation and its consequences for particle acceleration and magnetic fields.Comment: Published in Astronomy and Astrophysics Reviews. This version has 2 column-layout. 78 pages, 42 figures. This replaced version has some minor language edits and several references have been correcte

    Past, Present, and Future X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Missions

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    X- and -ray astronomy began in the early sixties of the last century with balloons flights, sounding rocket experiment and satellites. Long before space satellite detected X- and -rays emitted by cosmic sources, scientists had known that the Universe should be producing these photons. In this chapter we provided an overview of past and present missions that has made the X- and -ray astronomy an integral part of astronomical research, and prospects of future developments

    Cytogenetics of Bisexual/Unisexual Species of Poecilia. VI. Additional Nucleolus Organizer Region Chromosomal Clones of Poecilia Formosa (Amazon Molly) From Texas, With a Survey of Chromosomal Clones Detected in the Amazon Molly

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    This study reports the results of different staining techniques on the chromosomes of two Poecilia formosa lineages, providing evidence of two additional nucleolus organizer region (NOR) chromosomal clones in this gynogenetic fish. A comparative analysis of chromosomal clones detected in the Amazon molly, along with their frequency and distribution in different collecting sites, is also presented, and clonal heterogeneity resulting from chromosome changes is discussed

    Study of the unbound nucleus N-11 by elastic resonance scattering

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    Resonances in the unbound nucleus N-11 have been studied, using the resonance scattering reaction C-10+p. The data give evidence for three states above the C-10+p threshold with energies 1.30, 2.04, and 3.72 MeV. These states can be interpreted, in a potential-model analysis, as the ground state and the first two excited states with spin-parity 1/2(+), 1/2(-), and 5/2(+) arising from the shell-model orbitals 1s(1/2), Op(1/2), and Od(5/2). A narrow state superposed on a broad structure found at higher energy could be interpreted as the mirror state of the 3/2(-) in Be-11 shifted down in energy. This shift would suggest a large radius of the potential

    Study of the unbound nucleus N-11 by elastic resonance scattering

    No full text
    Resonances in the unbound nucleus N-11 have been studied, using the resonance scattering reaction C-10+p. The data give evidence for three states above the C-10+p threshold with energies 1.30, 2.04, and 3.72 MeV. These states can be interpreted, in a potential-model analysis, as the ground state and the first two excited states with spin-parity 1/2(+), 1/2(-), and 5/2(+) arising from the shell-model orbitals 1s(1/2), Op(1/2), and Od(5/2). A narrow state superposed on a broad structure found at higher energy could be interpreted as the mirror state of the 3/2(-) in Be-11 shifted down in energy. This shift would suggest a large radius of the potential
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