The multi-epoch X-ray tale of I Zwicky 1 outflows

The narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy I Zwicky 1 shows a unique and complex system of ionised gas in outflow, which consists of an ultra-fast wind and a two-component warm absorber. In the last two decades, XMM-Newton monitored the source multiple times enabling the study of the long-term variability of the various outflows. Plasma in photoionisation equilibrium with the ionising source responds and varies accordingly to any change of the ionising luminosity. However, detailed modelling of the past RGS data has shown no correlation between the plasma ionisation state and the ionising continuum, revealing a complex long-term variability of the multi-phase warm absorber. Here, we present a new observation of I Zwicky 1 by XMM-Newton taken in early 2020 characterised by a lower X-ray flux state. The soft X-ray spectrum from the RGS reveals the two components of the warm absorber with $\log \xi \sim -1.0$ and $\log \xi \sim 1.7$. Comparing our results with the previous observations, the ionisation state of the two absorbing gas components is continuously changing, following the same unpredictable behaviour. The new results strengthen the scenario in which the ionisation state of the warm absorber is driven by the density of the gas rather than the ionising luminosity. In particular, the presence of a radiation driven, inhomogeneous clumpy outflow may explain both the variability in ionisation throughout the years and the line-locked N V system observed in the UV band. Finally, the EPIC-pn spectrum reveals an ultra-fast wind with an outflow velocity of $\sim 0.26c$ and ionisation parameter of $\log \xi \sim 3.8$.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

Time-dependent photoionization spectroscopy of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783

We present an investigation into the spectroscopic properties of non-equilibrium photoionization processes operating in a time-evolving mode. Through a quantitative comparison between equilibrium and time-evolving models, we find that the time-evolving model exhibits a broader distribution of charge states compared to the equilibrium model, accompanied by a slight shift in the peak ionization state depending on the source variability and gas density. The time-evolving code, tpho in SPEX, has been successfully employed to analyze the spectral properties of warm absorbers in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783. The incorporation of variability in the tpho model improves the fits of the time-integrated spectra, providing more accurate descriptions to the average charge states of several elements, in particular for Fe which is peaked around Fe XIX. The inferred densities and distances of the relevant X-ray absorber components are estimated to be approximately a few 1E11 per cubic meter and less than 1 pc, respectively. Furthermore, the updated fit suggests a potential scenario in which the observed absorbers are being expelled from the central AGN at the escape velocities. This implies that these absorbers might not play a significant role in the AGN feedback mechanism.Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Constraints on the ultra-fast outflows in the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 1044 from high-resolution time- and flux-resolved spectroscopy

Ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) have been revealed in a large number of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and are regarded as promising candidates for AGN feedback on the host galaxy. The nature and launching mechanism of UFOs are not yet fully understood. Here we perform a time- and flux-resolved X-ray spectroscopy on four XMM-Newton observations of a highly accreting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy, Mrk 1044, to study the dependence of the outflow properties on the source luminosity. We find that the UFO in Mrk 1044 responds to the source variability quickly and its velocity increases with the X-ray flux, suggesting a high-density ($10^{9}-4.5\times10^{12}\,\mathrm{cm}^{-3}$) and radiatively driven outflow, launched from the region within a distance of $98-6600\, R_\mathrm{g}$ from the black hole. The kinetic energy of the UFO is conservatively estimated ($L_\mathrm{UFO}\sim4.4\%L_\mathrm{Edd}$), reaching the theoretical criterion to affect the evolution of the host galaxy. We also find emission lines, from a large-scale region, have a blueshift of $2700-4500$ km/s in the spectra of Mrk 1044, which is rarely observed in AGN. By comparing with other sources, we propose a correlation between the blueshift of emission lines and the source accretion rate, which can be verified by a future sample study.Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

First High-Resolution Spectroscopy of X-ray Absorption Lines in the Obscured State of NGC 5548

Multi-wavelength spectroscopy of NGC 5548 revealed remarkable changes due to presence of an obscuring wind from the accretion disk. This broadened our understanding of obscuration and outflows in AGN. Swift monitoring of NGC 5548 shows that over the last 10 years the obscuration has gradually declined. This provides a valuable opportunity for analyses that have not been feasible before because of too much obscuration. The lowered obscuration, together with the high energy spectral coverage of Chandra HETG, facilitate the first study of X-ray absorption lines in the obscured state. The comparison of the lines (Mg XI, Mg XII, Si XIII, and Si XIV) between the new and historical spectra reveals interesting changes, most notably the He-like absorption being significantly diminished in 2022. Our study finds that the changes are caused by an increase in both the ionization parameter and the column density of the warm-absorber outflow in the obscured state. This is contrary to the shielding scenario that is evident in the appearance of the UV lines, where the inner obscuring wind shields outflows that are located further out, thus lowering their ionization. The X-ray absorption lines in the HETG spectra appear to be unaffected by the obscuration. The results suggest that the shielding is complex since various components of the ionized outflow are impacted differently. We explore various possibilities for the variability behavior of the X-ray absorption lines and find that the orbital motion of a clumpy ionized outflow traversing our line of sight is the most likely explanation.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ), 9 pages, 5 figure

First High-resolution Spectroscopy of X-Ray Absorption Lines in the Obscured State of NGC 5548

Multiwavelength spectroscopy of NGC 5548 revealed remarkable changes due to the presence of an obscuring wind from the accretion disk. This broadened our understanding of obscuration and outflows in active galactic nuclei. Swift monitoring of NGC 5548 shows that over the last 10 yr, the obscuration has gradually declined. This provides a valuable opportunity for analyses that have not been feasible before because of too much obscuration. The lowered obscuration, together with the high-energy spectral coverage of Chandra HETG, facilitates the first study of X-ray absorption lines in the obscured state. The comparison of the lines (Mg xi, Mg xii, Si xiii, and Si xiv) between the new and historical spectra reveals interesting changes, most notably the He-like absorption being significantly diminished in 2022. Our study finds that the changes are caused by an increase in both the ionization parameter and the column density of the warm-absorber outflow in the obscured state. This is contrary to the shielding scenario that is evident in the appearance of the UV lines, where the inner obscuring wind shields outflows that are farther out, thus lowering their ionization. The X-ray absorption lines in the HETG spectra appear to be unaffected by the obscuration. The results suggest that the shielding is complex because various components of the ionized outflow are affected differently. We explore various possibilities for the variability behavior of the X-ray absorption lines and find that the orbital motion of a clumpy ionized outflow traversing our line of sight is the most likely explanation

A systematic study of the ultra-fast outflow responses to luminosity variations in active galactic nuclei

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Context. Ultra-fast outflows (UFOs) have been revealed in a large number of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the past two decades. Their extreme velocities and high ionization states make them a promising candidate for AGN feedback on the evolution of the host galaxy. However, their exact underlying driving mechanism is not yet fully understood. Aims. Given that the variability of UFOs may be used to distinguish among different launching mechanisms, we aim to search for and characterize the responses of the UFO properties to the variable irradiating luminosity. Methods. We perform a high-resolution time- and flux-resolved spectroscopy of archival XMM-Newton observations on six highly accreting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies, selected by UFO detection and sufficient exposure times. The state-of-the-art methods of the blind Gaussian line scan and photoionization model scan are used to identify UFO solutions. We search for ionized winds and investigate the structure of ionized winds and their responses to the luminosity variations. The location, density, and kinetic energy of UFOs are estimated as well. Results. The powerful photoionization model scan reveals three previously unreported UFOs in RE J1034+396, PG 1244+026 and I ZW 1 with a detection significance above 3σ, and two new warm absorbers (WAs) in RE J1034+396. Five out of six (83%) AGN in our sample host multi-phase ionized winds, where outflows in I ZW 1 are energy-conserved. The relatively low-ionization entrained UFOs are discovered in four (66%) AGN of our sample, supporting the shocked outflow interpretation for ionized winds in AGN. We notice that two out of seven (28%) UFOs in our sample seem to respond to the radiation field and three (43%) UFOs hint at a radiatively accelerated nature, requiring further observations. Combined with published works, we do not find any correlations between UFO responses and AGN properties except for a tentative (∼1.8σ) anti-correlation between the UFO acceleration and the Eddington ratio, to be confirmed by further observations and an enlarged sample. The kinetic energy of UFOs, mostly detected in soft X-rays, is found to have a large uncertainty. We, therefore, cannot conclude whether soft X-ray UFOs have sufficient energy to drive the AGN feedback, although they are very promising based on some reasonable assumptions. The primary UFO in I ZW 1 (detected in the hard X-ray) is the only case in our sample to possess conclusively sufficient energy to affect the host galaxy.Peer reviewe

Dust and gas absorption in the high mass X-ray binary IGR J16318−4848

Context. With an absorption column density on the order of 10²⁴ cm⁻², IGR J16318−4848 is one of the most extreme cases of a highly obscured high mass X-ray binary. In addition to the overall continuum absorption, the source spectrum exhibits a strong iron and nickel fluorescence line complex at 6.4 keV. Previous empirical modeling of these features and comparison with radiative transfer simulations raised questions about the structure and covering fraction of the absorber and the profile of the fluorescence lines. Aims. We aim at a self-consistent description of the continuum absorption, the absorption edges, and the fluorescence lines to constrain the properties of the absorbing material, such as ionization structure and geometry. We further investigate the effects of dust absorption on the observed spectra and the possibility of fluorescence emission from dust grains. Methods. We used XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra to first empirically constrain the incident continuum and fluorescence lines. Next we used XSTAR to construct a customized photoionization model where we vary the ionization parameter, column density, and covering fraction. In the third step we modeled the absorption and fluorescence in a dusty olivine absorber and employed both a simple analytical model for the fluorescence line emission and a Monte Carlo simulation of radiative transfer that generates line fluxes, which are very close to the observational data. Results. Our empirical spectral modeling is in agreement with previous works. Our second model, the single gas absorber does not describe the observational data. In particular, irrespective of the ionization state or column density of the absorber, a much higher covering fraction than previously estimated is needed to produce the strong fluorescence lines and the large continuum absorption. A dusty, spherical absorber (modeled as consisting of olivine dust, although the nature of dust cannot be constrained) is able to produce the observed continuum absorption and edges. Conclusions. A dense, dusty absorber in the direct vicinity of the source consisting of dust offers a consistent description of both the strong continuum absorption and the strong emission features in the X-ray spectrum of IGR J16318−4848. In particular, for low optical depth of individual grains, which is the case for typical volume densities and grain size distribution models, the dust will contribute significantly to the fluorescence emission

Dust and gas absorption in the high mass X-ray binary IGR J16318−4848

Context. With an absorption column density on the order of 10²⁴ cm⁻², IGR J16318−4848 is one of the most extreme cases of a highly obscured high mass X-ray binary. In addition to the overall continuum absorption, the source spectrum exhibits a strong iron and nickel fluorescence line complex at 6.4 keV. Previous empirical modeling of these features and comparison with radiative transfer simulations raised questions about the structure and covering fraction of the absorber and the profile of the fluorescence lines. Aims. We aim at a self-consistent description of the continuum absorption, the absorption edges, and the fluorescence lines to constrain the properties of the absorbing material, such as ionization structure and geometry. We further investigate the effects of dust absorption on the observed spectra and the possibility of fluorescence emission from dust grains. Methods. We used XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra to first empirically constrain the incident continuum and fluorescence lines. Next we used XSTAR to construct a customized photoionization model where we vary the ionization parameter, column density, and covering fraction. In the third step we modeled the absorption and fluorescence in a dusty olivine absorber and employed both a simple analytical model for the fluorescence line emission and a Monte Carlo simulation of radiative transfer that generates line fluxes, which are very close to the observational data. Results. Our empirical spectral modeling is in agreement with previous works. Our second model, the single gas absorber does not describe the observational data. In particular, irrespective of the ionization state or column density of the absorber, a much higher covering fraction than previously estimated is needed to produce the strong fluorescence lines and the large continuum absorption. A dusty, spherical absorber (modeled as consisting of olivine dust, although the nature of dust cannot be constrained) is able to produce the observed continuum absorption and edges. Conclusions. A dense, dusty absorber in the direct vicinity of the source consisting of dust offers a consistent description of both the strong continuum absorption and the strong emission features in the X-ray spectrum of IGR J16318−4848. In particular, for low optical depth of individual grains, which is the case for typical volume densities and grain size distribution models, the dust will contribute significantly to the fluorescence emission

UV/Optical disk reverberation lags despite a faint X-ray corona in the AGN Mrk 335

We present the first results from a 100-day Swift, NICER and ground-based X-ray/UV/optical reverberation mapping campaign of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Mrk 335, when it was in an unprecedented low X-ray flux state. Despite dramatic suppression of the X-ray variability, we still observe UV/optical lags as expected from disk reverberation. Moreover, the UV/optical lags are consistent with archival observations when the X-ray luminosity was >10 times higher. Interestingly, both low- and high-flux states reveal UV/optical lags that are 6-11 times longer than expected from a thin disk. These long lags are often interpreted as due to contamination from the broad line region, however the u band excess lag (containing the Balmer jump from the diffuse continuum) is less prevalent than in other AGN. The Swift campaign showed a low X-ray-to-optical correlation (similar to previous campaigns), but NICER and ground-based monitoring continued for another two weeks, during which the optical rose to the highest level of the campaign, followed ~10 days later by a sharp rise in X-rays. While the low X-ray countrate and relatively large systematic uncertainties in the NICER background make this measurement challenging, if the optical does lead X-rays in this flare, this indicates a departure from the zeroth-order reprocessing picture. If the optical flare is due to an increase in mass accretion rate, this occurs on much shorter than the viscous timescale. Alternatively, the optical could be responding to an intrinsic rise in X-rays that is initially hidden from our line-of-sight.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. 15 pages, 8 figures, 3 table