Absorption spectra of Fe L-lines in Seyfert 1 galaxies

Absorption L-lines of iron ions are observed, in absorption, in spectra of Seyfert 1 galaxies by the new generation of X-ray satellites: Chandra (NASA) and XMM-Newton (ESA). Lines associated to Fe23+ to Fe17+ are well resolved. Whereas, those corresponding to Fe16+ to Fe6+ are unresolved. Forbidden transitions of the Fe16+ to Fe6+ ions were previously observed, for the same objects, in the visible and infra-red regions, showing that the plasma had a low density. To interpret X-ray, visible and infra-red data, astrophysical models assume an extended absorbing medium of very low density surrounding an intense X-ray source. We have calculated atomic data (wavelengths, radiative and autoionization rates) for n=2 to n'=3-4 transitions and used them to construct refined synthetic spectra of the unresolved part of the L-line spectra.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, in pres

A prominent relativistic iron line in the Seyfert 1 MCG-02-14-009

I report the discovery of a prominent broad and asymmetrical feature near 6.4 keV in the Seyfert 1 MCG-02-14-009 (z=0.028) with XMM-Newton/EPIC. The present short X-ray observation (PN net exposure time ~5 ks) is the first one above 2 keV for MCG-02-14-009. The feature can be explained by either a relativistic iron line around either a Schwarzschild (non-rotating) or a Kerr (rotating) black hole. If the feature is a relativistic iron line around a Schwarzschild black hole, the line energy is 6.51 (+0.21,-0.12) keV with an equivalent width of 631 (+259,-243) eV and that the inclination angle of the accretion disc should be less than 43 degrees. A relativistically blurred photoionized disc model gives a very good spectral fit over the broad band 0.2-12keV energy range. The spectrum is reflection dominated and this would indicate that the primary source in MCG-02-14-009 is located very close to the black hole, where gravitational light bending effect is important (about 3-4 Rg), and that the black hole may rapidly rotate.Comment: Accepted for publication, A&A Letters, 5 pages, 3 figures, and 1 tabl

Fe Ka line emission from the Arches cluster region - evidence for ongoing particle bombardment?

We present the results of eight years of XMM-Newton observations of the region surrounding the Arches cluster in the Galactic Center. We study the spatial distribution and temporal behaviour of the Fe-Ka line emission with the objective of identifying the likely source of the excitation. We investigate the variability of the 6.4-keV line emission of four clouds through spectral fitting of the EPIC MOS data with the use of a modelled background, which avoids many of the systematics inherent in local background subtraction. We also employ spectral stacking of both EPIC PN and MOS data to search for evidence of an Fe-K edge feature imprinted on the underlying X-ray continuum. The lightcurves of the Fe-Ka line from three bright molecular knots close to the Arches cluster are found to be constant over the 8-year observation window. West of the cluster, however, we found a bright cloud exhibiting the fastest Fe-Ka variability yet seen in a molecular cloud in the Galactic Center region. The time-averaged spectra of the molecular clouds reveal no convincing evidence of the 7.1-keV edge feature. The EW of the 6.4-keV line emitted by the clouds near the cluster is found to be ~1.0 keV. The observed Fe-Ka line flux and the high EW suggest the fluorescence has a photoionization origin, although excitation by cosmic-ray particles is not specifically excluded. For the three clouds nearest to the cluster, an identification of the source of photo-ionizing photons with an earlier outburst of Sgr A* is however at best tentative. The hardness of the nonthermal component associated with the 6.4-keV line emission might be best explained in terms of bombardment by cosmic-ray particles from the Arches cluster itself. The relatively short-timescale variability seen in the 6.4-keV line emission from the cloud to the West of the cluster is most likely the result of illumination by a nearby transient X-ray source.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Discovery of X-ray eclipses from the transient source CXOGC J174540.0-290031 with XMM-Newton

We present the XMM-Newton observations obtained during four revolutions in Spring and Summer 2004 of CXOGC J174540.0-290031, a moderately bright transient X-ray source, located at only 2.9" from SgrA*. We report the discovery of sharp and deep X-ray eclipses, with a period of 27,961+/-5 s and a duration of about 1,100+/-100 s, observed during the two consecutive XMM revolutions from August 31 to September 2. No deep eclipses were present during the two consecutive XMM revolutions from March 28 to April 1, 2004. The spectra during all four observations are well described with an absorbed power law continuum. While our fits on the power law index over the four observations yield values that are consistent with Gamma=1.6-2.0, there appears to be a significant increase in the column density during the Summer 2004 observations, i.e. the period during which the eclipses are detected. The intrinsic luminosity in the 2-10 keV energy range is almost constant with 1.8-2.3 x 10^34 (d_8kpc)^2 erg/s over the four observations. In the framework of eclipsing semidetached binary systems, we show that the eclipse period constrains the mass of the assumed main-sequence secondary star to less than 1.0 M_odot. Therefore, we deduce that CXOGC J174540.0-290031 is a low-mass X-ray binary (LMXB). Moreover the eclipse duration constrains the mass of the compact object to less than about 60 M_odot, which is consistent with a stellar mass black hole or a neutron star. The absence of deep X-ray eclipses during the Spring 2004 observations could be explained if the centroid of the X-ray emitting region moves from a position on the orbital plane to a point above the compact object, possibly coincident with the base of the jet which was detected in radio at this epoch. [Abstract truncated].Comment: A&A, accepted for publication (10 pages, 8 figures, 2 Tables

A changing inner radius in the accretion disc of Q0056-363?

Q0056-363 is the most powerful X-ray quasar known to exhibit a broad, likely relativistic iron line (Porquet & Reeves 2003). It has been observed twice by XMM-$Newton$, three and half years apart (July 2000 and December 2003). In the second observation, the UV and soft X-ray fluxes were fainter, the hard X-ray power law flatter, and the iron line equivalent width (EW) smaller than in the 2000 observation. These variations can all be explained, at least qualitatively, if the disc is truncated in the second observation. We report also on the possible detection of a transient, redshifted iron absorption line during the 2003 observation.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&

Multi-Wavelength Study of Sgr A*: The Short Time Scale Variability

To understand the correlation and the radiation mechanism of flare emission in different wavelength bands, we have coordinated a number of telescopes to observe SgrA* simultaneously. We focus only on one aspect of the preliminary results of our multi-wavelength observing campaigns, namely, the short time scale variability of emission from SgrA* in near-IR, X-ray and radio wavelengths. The structure function analysis indicate most of the power spectral density is detected on hourly time scales in all wavelength bands. We also report minute time scale variability at 7 and 13mm placing a strong constraint on the nature of the variable emission. The hourly time scale variability can be explained in the context of a model in which the peak frequency of emission shifts toward lower frequencies as a self-absorbed synchrotron source expands adiabatically near the acceleration site. The short time scale variability, on the other hand, places a strong constraint on the size of the emitting region. Assuming that rapid minute time scale fluctuations of the emission is optically thick in radio wavelength, light travel arguments requires relativistic particle energy, thus suggesting the presence of outflow from SgrA*.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, The Galactic Center: A Window on the Nuclear Environment of Disk Galaxies ASP Conference Series, 2010 eds: M. Morris, D. Q. Wang and F. Yua