2,193 research outputs found
XMM-Newton study of the complex and variable spectrum of NGC 4051
We study the X-ray spectral variability of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy
NGC 4051 as observed during two XMM-Newton observations. The data show evidence
for a neutral and constant reflection component and for constant emission from
photoionized gas, which are included in all spectral models. The nuclear
emission can be modelled both in terms of a ``standard model'' (pivoting power
law plus a black body component for the soft excess) and of a two--component
one (power law plus ionized reflection from the accretion disc). The standard
model results indicate that the soft excess does not follow the standard black
body law. Moreover, although the spectral slope is correlated with flux, which
is consistent with spectral pivoting, the hardest photon indexes are so flat as
to require rather unusual scenarios. These problems can be solved in terms of
the two-component model in which the soft excess is not thermal, but due to the
ionized reflection component. The variability of the reflection component from
the inner disc closely follows the predictions of the light bending model,
suggesting that most of the primary nuclear emission is produced in the very
innermost regions, only a few gravitational radii from the central black hole.
(abridged)Comment: accepted for publication in MNRA
Probing 3D Density and Velocity Fields of ISM in Centers of Galaxies with Future X-Ray Observations
Observations of bright and variable "reflected" X-ray emission from molecular
clouds located within inner hundred parsec of our Galaxy have demonstrated that
the central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*, experienced short and powerful
flares in the past few hundred years. These flares offer a truly unique
opportunity to determine 3D location of the illuminated clouds (with ~10 pc
accuracy) and to reveal their internal structure (down to 0.1 pc scales). Short
duration of the flare(s), combined with X-rays high penetration power and
insensitivity of the reflection signal to thermo- and chemo-dynamical state of
the gas, ensures that the provided diagnostics of the density and velocity
fields is unbiased and almost free of the projection and opacity effects. Sharp
and sensitive snapshots of molecular gas accessible with aid of future X-ray
observatories featuring large collecting area and high angular (arcsec-level)
and spectral (eV-level) resolution cryogenic bolometers will present invaluable
information on properties of the supersonic turbulence inside the illuminated
clouds, map their shear velocity field and allow cross-matching between X-ray
data and velocity-resolved emission of various molecular species provided by
ALMA and other ground-based facilities. This will highlight large and
small-scale dynamics of the dense gas and help uncovering specifics of the ISM
lifecycle and high-mass star formation under very extreme conditions of
galactic centers. While the former is of particular importance for the SMBH
feeding and triggering AGN feedback, the latter might be an excellent test case
for star formation taking place in high-redshift galaxies.Comment: White paper submitted to the Astro2020 Decadal Surve
3C 33: another case of photoionized soft X-ray emission in radio galaxies
All the observations available in the Chandra and XMM-Newton archives have
been used to investigate the X-ray spectral properties of 3C 33. In this paper
is presented a complete X-ray analysis of the nuclear emission of this narrow
line radio galaxy. The broad band spectrum of 3C 33 is complex. The hard part
resembles that of Seyfert 2 galaxies, with a heavily obscured nuclear continuum
(N_H~10^23 cm^-2) and a prominent Fe Kalpha line. This represents the nuclear
radiation directly observed in transmission through a cold circumnuclear gas.
On the other hand an unabsorbed continuum plus emission lines seem to fit well
the soft part of the spectrum (0.5-2 keV) suggesting that the jet does not
significantly contribute to the X-ray emission. We discuss the possible
collisional or photoionized origin of the gas that emits the soft X-ray lines.
Our results, strengthened by optical spectroscopy favor the photoionization
scenario.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Evolution of the disc atmosphere in the X-ray binary MXB 1659-298, during its 2015-2017 outburst
We report on the evolution of the X-ray emission of the accreting neutron
star (NS) low mass X-ray binary (LMXB), MXB 1659-298, during its most recent
outburst in 2015-2017. We detected 60 absorption lines during the soft state
(of which 21 at more than 3 ), that disappeared in the hard state
(e.g., the Fe xxv and Fe xxvi lines). The absorbing plasma is at rest, likely
part of the accretion disc atmosphere. The bulk of the absorption features can
be reproduced by a high column density () of highly
ionised () plasma. Its disappearance during the
hard state is likely the consequence of a thermal photo-ionisation instability.
MXB 1659-298's continuum emission can be described by the sum of an absorbed
disk black body and its Comptonised emission, plus a black body component. The
observed spectral evolution with state is in line with that typically observed
in atoll and stellar mass black hole LMXB. The presence of a relativistic Fe
K disk-line is required during the soft state. We also tentatively
detect the Fe xxii doublet, whose ratio suggests an electron density of the
absorber of , hence, the absorber is likely located at
from the illuminating source, well inside the Compton and
outer disc radii. MXB 1659-298 is the third well monitored atoll LMXB
showcasing intense Fe xxv and Fe xxvi absorption during the soft state that
disappears during the hard state.Comment: MNRAS in pres
Have we detected the most luminous ULX so far?
We report the XMM-Newton detection of a moderately bright X-ray source
superimposed on the outer arms of the inactive spiral galaxy MCG-03-34-63
(z=0.0213). It is clearly offset from the nucleus (by about 19'') but well
within the D25 ellipse of the galaxy, just along its bar axis. The field has
also been observed with the HST enabling us to compute a lower limit of > 94 on
the X-ray to optical flux ratio which, together with the X-ray spectrum of the
source, argues against a background AGN. On the other hand, the detection of
excess X-ray absorption and the lack of a bright optical counterpart argue
against foreground contamination. Short-timescale variability is observed,
ruling out the hypothesis of a particularly powerful supernova. If it is
associated with the apparent host galaxy, the source is the most powerful ULX
detected so far with a peak luminosity of 1.35x10^41 erg/s in the 0.5-7 keV
band. If confirmed by future multi-wavelength observations, the inferred
bolometric luminosity (about 3x10^41 erg/s) requires a rather extreme beaming
factor (larger than 115) to accommodate accretion onto a stellar-mass black
hole of 20 solar masses and the source could represent instead one of the best
intermediate-mass black hole candidate so far. If beaming is excluded, the
Eddington limit implies a mass of >2300 solar masses for the accreting compact
object.Comment: MNRAS Letters in press; minor correction at the end of Section
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