593 research outputs found
Long-Term X-ray Spectral Variability in Seyfert 1 Galaxies
Direct time-resolved spectral fitting has been performed on continuous RXTE
monitoring of seven Seyfert 1 galaxies in order to study their broadband
spectral variability and Fe K alpha variability characteristics on time scales
of days to years. Variability in the Fe K alpha line is not detected in some
objects but is present in others, e.g., in NGC 3516, NGC 4151 and NGC 5548
there are systematic decreases in line flux by factors of ~2-5 over 3-4 years.
The Fe K alpha line varies less strongly than the broadband continuum, but,
like the continuum, exhibits stronger variability towards longer time scales.
Relatively less model-dependent broadband fractional variability amplitude
(Fvar) spectra also show weaker line variability compared to the continuum
variability. Comparable systematic long-term decreases in the line and
continuum are present in NGC 5548. Overall, however, there is no evidence for
correlated variability between the line and continuum, severely challenging
models in which the line tracks continuum variations modified only by a
light-travel time delay. Local effects such as the formation of an ionized skin
at the site of line emission may be relevant. The spectral fitting and Fvar
spectra both support spectral softening as continuum flux increases.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 29 page
Thermalization of a nonequilibrium electron-positron-photon plasma
Starting from a nonequilibrium configuration we analyse the essential role of
the direct and the inverse binary and triple interactions in reaching an
asymptotic thermal equilibrium in a homogeneous isotropic
electron-positron-photon plasma. We focus on energies in the range 0.1--10 MeV.
We numerically integrate the integro-partial differential relativistic
Boltzmann equation with the exact QED collisional integrals taking into account
all binary and triple interactions in the plasma. We show that first, when
detailed balance is reached for all binary interactions on a timescale
sec, photons and electron-positron pairs establish
kinetic equilibrium. Successively, when triple interactions fulfill the
detailed balance on a timescale sec, the plasma reaches
thermal equilibrium. It is shown that neglecting the inverse triple
interactions prevents reaching thermal equilibrium. Our results obtained in the
theoretical physics domain also find application in astrophysics and cosmology.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett., to appea
On the lack of X-ray iron line reverberation in MCG-6-30-15: Implications for the black hole mass and accretion disk structure
We use the method of Press, Rybicki & Hewitt (1992) to search for time lags
and time leads between different energy bands of the RXTE data for MCG-6-30-15.
We tailor our search in order to probe any reverberation signatures of the
fluorescent iron Kalpha line that is thought to arise from the inner regions of
the black hole accretion disk. In essence, an optimal reconstruction algorithm
is applied to the continuum band (2-4keV) light curve which smoothes out noise
and interpolates across the data gaps. The reconstructed continuum band light
curve can then be folded through trial transfer functions in an attempt to find
lags or leads between the continuum band and the iron line band (5-7keV). We
find reduced fractional variability in the line band. The spectral analysis of
Lee et al. (1999) reveals this to be due to a combination of an apparently
constant iron line flux (at least on timescales of few x 10^4s), and flux
correlated changes in the photon index. We also find no evidence for iron line
reverberation and exclude reverberation delays in the range 0.5-50ksec. This
extends the conclusions of Lee et al. and suggests that the iron line flux
remains constant on timescales as short as 0.5ksec. The large black hole mass
(>10^8Msun) naively suggested by the constancy of the iron line flux is
rejected on other grounds. We suggest that the black hole in MCG-6-30-15 has a
mass of M_BH~10^6-10^7Msun and that changes in the ionization state of the disk
may produce the puzzling spectral variability. Finally, it is found that the
8-15keV band lags the 2-4keV band by 50-100s. This result is used to place
constraints on the size and geometry of the Comptonizing medium responsible for
the hard X-ray power-law in this AGN.Comment: 11 pages, 13 postscript figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
On Pair Content and Variability of Sub-Parsec Jets in Quasars
X-ray observations of blazars associated with the OVV (Optically Violently
Variable) quasars put strong constraints on the electron - positron pair
content of radio-loud quasar jets. From those observations, we infer that jets
in quasars contain many more electron - positron pairs than protons, but
dynamically are still dominated by protons. In particular, we show that pure
electron - positron jet models can be excluded, as they overpredict soft X-ray
radiation; likewise, pure proton - electron jets can be excluded, as they
predict too weak nonthermal X-ray radiation. An intermediate case is viable. We
demonstrate that jets which are initially proton-electron ("proto-jets") can be
pair-loaded via interaction with 100 - 300 keV photons produced in hot
accretion disc coronae, likely to exist in active galactic nuclei in general.
If the coronal radiation is powered by magnetic flares, the pair loading is
expected to be non-uniform and non-axisymmetric. Together with radiation drag,
this leads to velocity and density perturbations in a jet and formation of
shocks, where the pairs are accelerated. Such a scenario can explain rapid
(time scale of about a day) variability observed in OVV quasars.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Comparisons of various model fits to the Iron line profile in MCG-6-30-15
The broad Iron line in MCG-6-30-15 is fitted to the Comptonization model
where line broadening occurs due to Compton down-scattering in a highly ionized
optically thick cloud. These results are compared to the disk line model where
the broadening is due to Gravitational/Doppler effects in the vicinity of a
black hole. We find that both models fit the data well and it is not possible
to differentiate between them by fitting only the ASCA data. The best fit
temperature and optical depth of the cloud are found to be kT = 0.54 keV and
from the Comptonization model. This model further suggests that
while the temperature can be assumed to be constant, the optical depth varies
during the observation period. We emphasis an earlier conclusion that
simultaneous broad band data ( keV) can rule out (or confirm) the
Comptonization model.Comment: 4 figures. uses aasms4.sty, accepted by ApJ, email:
[email protected]
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Characterization of the Subsurface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's Abydos Site
We investigate the structure of the subsurface of the Abydos site using a cometary nucleus model with parameters adapted to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and the Abydos landing site. We aim to compare the production rates derived from our model with those of the main molecules measured by Ptolemy. This will allow us to retrieve the depths at which the different molecules still exist in solid form
Occultation Mapping of the Central Engine in the Active Galaxy MCG -6-30-15
The colossal power output of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is believed to be
fueled by the accretion of matter onto a supermassive black hole. This central
accreting region of AGN has hitherto been spatially unresolved and its
structure therefore unknown. Here we propose that a previously reported `deep
minimum' in the X-ray intensity of the AGN MCG-6-30-15, was due to a unique
X-ray occultation event and that it probes structure of the central engine on
scales < 1e14 cm, or 1.4e-7 arcseconds. The data are consistent with a bright
central source surrounded by a less intense ring, which we identify with the
inner edge of an accretion disk. These may be the first direct measurements of
the spatial structure and geometry of the accreting black-hole system in an
active galaxy.If the ring of X-ray emission is identified with the inner edge
of an accretion disk, upper limits on the BH mass can be derived. Our
occultation interpretation is controversial in the sense that X-ray variability
in AGNs is normally attributed to intrinsic physical changes in the X-ray
emission region, such as disk or coronal instabilities.Comment: 15 pages, 2 Figures. Latex with separate postscript figure files.
Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
High-Energy Spectral Complexity from Thermal Gradients in Black Hole Atmospheres
We show that Compton scattering of soft photons with energies near 100 eV in
thermally stratified black-hole accretion plasmas with temperatures in the
range 100 keV - 1 MeV can give rise to an X-ray spectral hardening near 10 keV.
This could produce the hardening observed in the X-ray spectra of black holes,
which is generally attributed to reflection or partial covering of the incident
continuum source by cold optically thick matter. In addition, we show that the
presence of very hot (kT=1 MeV) cores in plasmas leads to spectra exibiting
high energy tails similar to those observed from Galactic black-hole
candidates.Comment: 11 pages, uuencoded gziped postscript, ApJ Letters in pres
Black-Hole Spin Dependence in the Light Curves of Tidal Disruption Events
A star orbiting a supermassive black hole can be tidally disrupted if the
black hole's gravitational tidal field exceeds the star's self gravity at
pericenter. Some of this stellar tidal debris can become gravitationally bound
to the black hole, leading to a bright electromagnetic flare with bolometric
luminosity proportional to the rate at which material falls back to pericenter.
In the Newtonian limit, this flare will have a light curve that scales as
t^-5/3 if the tidal debris has a flat distribution in binding energy. We
investigate the time dependence of the black-hole mass accretion rate when
tidal disruption occurs close enough the black hole that relativistic effects
are significant. We find that for orbits with pericenters comparable to the
radius of the marginally bound circular orbit, relativistic effects can double
the peak accretion rate and halve the time it takes to reach this peak
accretion rate. The accretion rate depends on both the magnitude of the
black-hole spin and its orientation with respect to the stellar orbit; for
orbits with a given pericenter radius in Boyer-Lindquist coordinates, a maximal
black-hole spin anti-aligned with the orbital angular momentum leads to the
largest peak accretion rate.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, 1 table, PRD published versio
New constraints on the continuum-emission mechanism of AGN: Intensive monitoring of NGC 7469 in the X-ray and ultraviolet
We have undertaken near-continuous monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC
7469 in the X-ray with RXTE over a ~30d baseline. The source shows strong
variability with a root-mean-square (rms) amplitude of ~16 per cent, and
peak-to-peak variations of a factor of order 2. Simultaneous data over this
period were obtained in the ultraviolet (UV) using IUE, making this the most
intensive X-ray UV/X-ray variability campaign performed for any active galaxy.
Comparison of the continuum light curves reveals very similar amplitudes of
variability, but different variability characteristics, with the X-rays showing
much more rapid variations. The data are not strongly correlated at zero lag.
The largest absolute value of the correlation coefficient occurs for an
anticorrelation between the two bands, with the X-ray variations leading the UV
by ~4d. The largest positive correlation is for the ultraviolet to lead the
X-rays by ~4d. Neither option appears to be compatible with any simple
interband transfer function. The peak positive correlation at ~4d occurs
because the more prominent peaks in the UV light curve appear to lead those in
the X-rays by this amount. However, the minima of the light curves are
near-simultaneous. These observations provide new constraints on theoretical
models of the central regions of active galactic nuclei. Models in which the
observed UV emission is produced solely by re-radiation of absorber X-rays are
ruled out by our data, as are those in which the X-rays are produced solely by
Compton upscattering of the observed UV component by a constant distribution of
particles.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures. LaTeX with encapsulated postscript. To appear in
the Astrophysical Journal. Also available via
http://lheawww.gsfc.nasa.gov/users/nandra/pubs/7469/abstract.htm
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