304 research outputs found
Confirmation of and Variable Energy Injection by a Near-Relativistic Outflow in APM 08279+5255
We present results from multi-epoch spectral analysis of XMM-Newton and
Chandra observations of the broad absorption line (BAL) quasar APM 08279+5255.
Our analysis shows significant X-ray BALs in all epochs with rest-frame
energies lying in the range of ~ 6.7-18 keV. The X-ray BALs and 0.2-10 keV
continuum show significant variability on timescales as short as 3.3 days
(proper time) implying a source size-scale of ~ 10 r_g, where r_g is the
gravitational radius. We find a large gradient in the outflow velocity of the
X-ray absorbers with projected outflow velocities of up to 0.76 c. The maximum
outflow velocity constrains the angle between the wind velocity and our line of
sight to be less than ~ 22 degrees. We identify the following components of the
outflow: (a) Highly ionized X-ray absorbing material (2.9 < logxi < 3.9) and a
column density of log N_H ~ 23 outflowing at velocities of up to 0.76 c. (b)
Low-ionization X-ray absorbing gas with log N_H ~ 22.8. We find that flatter
spectra appear to result in lower outflow velocities. Based on our spectral
analysis of observations of APM 08279+5255 over a period of 1.2 years (proper
time) we estimate the mass-outflow rate and efficiency of the outflow to have
varied between 16(-8,+12) M_solar yr^-1 and 64(-40,+66) M_solar yr^-1 and
0.18(-0.11,+0.15) to 1.7(-1.2+1.9), respectively. Assuming that the outflow
properties of APM 08279+5255 are a common property of most quasars at similar
redshifts, our results then imply that quasar winds are massive and energetic
enough to influence significantly the formation of the host galaxy, provide
significant metal enrichment to the interstellar medium and intergalactic
medium, and are a viable mechanism for feedback at redshifts near the peak in
the number density of galaxy mergers.Comment: 27 pages, includes 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Revealing the Structure of an Accretion Disk Through Energy Dependent X-ray Microlensing
We present results from monitoring observations of the gravitationally lensed
quasar RX J1131-1231 performed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The X-ray
observations were planned with relatively long exposures that allowed a search
for energy-dependent microlensing in the soft (0.2-2 keV) and hard (2-10 keV)
light curves of the images of RX J1131-1231. We detect significant microlensing
in the X-ray light-curves of images A and D, and energy-dependent microlensing
of image D. The magnification of the soft band appears to be larger than that
in the hard band by a factor of ~ 1.3 when image D becomes more magnified. This
can be explained by the difference between a compact, softer-spectrum corona
that is producing a more extended, harder spectrum reflection component off the
disk. This is supported by the evolution of the fluorescent iron line in image
D over three consecutive time-averaged phases of the light curve. In the first
period, a Fe line at E = 6.36(-0.16,+0.13) keV is detected (at > 99%
confidence). In the second period, two Fe lines are detected, one at E =
5.47(-0.08,+0.06) keV (detected at > 99% confidence) and another at E =
6.02(-0.07,+0.09) keV (marginally detected at > 90% confidence), and in the
third period, a broadened Fe line at 6.42(-0.15,+0.19) keV is detected (at >
99% confidence). This evolution of the Fe line profile during the microlensing
event is consistent with the line distortion expected when a caustic passes
over the inner disk where the shape of the fluorescent Fe line is distorted by
General Relativistic and Doppler effects.Comment: 20 pages, includes 10 figures, submitted to Ap
The influence of gravitational lensing on the spectra of lensed QSOs
We consider the influence of (milli/micro)lensing on the spectra of lensed
QSOs. We propose a method for the observational detection of microlensing in
the spectra of lensed QSOs and apply it to the spectra of the three lensed QSOs
(PG 1115+080, QSO 1413+117 and QSO 0957+561) observed with Hubble Space
Telescope (HST). We find that the flux ratio between images A1 and A2 of PG
1115+080 is wavelength-dependent and shows differential magnification between
the emission lines and the continuum. We interpret this magnification as
arising from millilensing. We also find that the temporal variations in the
continuum of image C of QSO 1413+117 may be caused by microlensing, while the
temporal variation observed in QSO 0957+561 was probably an intrinsic one.Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in MNRA
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