Spectral Variability and iron line emission in the ASCA Observations of the Seyfert 1 Galaxy NGC4051

We present the results of an extensive analysis of the ``ASCA'' AO2 observation of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC4051. The target exhibits broadband [0.5--10 keV] variability by a factor $\sim 8$ on time scales $\sim 10^4 s$, with a typical doubling time $\sim 500 s$. The spectrum is characterized by a strong emission excess over the extrapolated power law at energies $E \le 1 keV$. Absorption edges due to ionized oxygen species OVII and OVIII are detected together with an emission-like feature at $E \sim 0.93 keV$. The OVII edge undergoes significant variability on a timescale as low as $\sim 10^4 s$, whilst no contemporary variability of the OVIII feature is detected. Typical variability time scales place constraints on the location and the density of the absorbing matter. In the self-consistent hypothesis of a high energy ($E \ge 2.3 keV$) power law reflected by an infinite plane-parallel cold slab, a photon index change ($\Delta \Gamma = 0.4$) has also been observed; a natural explanation can be found in the framework of non-thermal Comptonization models. The iron line is redshifted (centroid energy $E \sim 6.1 keV$) and broad ($\sigma > 0.2 keV$); multicomponent structure is suggestive of emission from a relativistic accretion disk; however if the disk is not ionized a contribution by a molecular torus or an iron overabundance by a factor $\sim 1.5$ are required.Comment: 17 pages, latex, 12 figures. To be published in Publication of Astronomical Society of Japa

Decades' long-term variations in NS-LMXBs observed with MAXI/GSC, RXTE/ASM and Ginga/ASM

We investigated the decades' long-term X-ray variations in bright low-mass X-ray binaries containing a neutron star (NS-LMXB). The light curves of MAXI/GSC and RXTE/ASM covers $\sim$ 26 yr, and high-quality X-ray light curves are obtained from 33 NS-LMXBs. Among them, together with Ginga/ASM, two sources (GX 3$+$1 and GX 9$+$1) showed an apparent sinusoidal variation with the period of $\sim 5$ yr and $\sim 10$ yr in the 34 yr light curve. Their X-ray luminosities were $(1-4)\times10^{37}$ erg s$^{-1}$ in the middle of the luminosity distribution of the NS-LMXB. Other seven sources (Ser X-1, 4U 1735--444, GX 9$+$9, 4U 1746$-$37, 4U 1708$-$40, 4U 1822$-$000, and 1A 1246$-$588) have also similar sinusoidal variation, although the profiles (amplitude, period, and phase) are variable. Compering the 21 sources with known orbital periods, a possible cause of the long-term sinusoidal variation might be the mass transfer cycles induced by the irradiation to the donor star.Comment: 18 pages, accepted to PAS