2,945 research outputs found
Fermi detected blazars seen by INTEGRAL
Multiwavelength observations are essential to constrain physical parameters
of the blazars observed by Fermi/LAT. Among the 187 AGN significantly detected
in public INTEGRAL data above 20 keV by the imager IBIS/ISGRI, 20 blazars were
detected. 15 of these sources allowed significant spectral extraction. They
show hard X-ray spectra with an average photon index of 2.1+-0.1 and a hard
X-ray luminosity of L(20-100 keV) = 1.3e46 erg/s. 15 of the INTEGRAL blazars
are also visible in the first 16 months of the Fermi/LAT data, thus allowing to
constrain the inverse Compton branch in these cases. Among others, we analyse
the LAT data of four blazars which were not included in the Fermi LAT Bright
AGN Sample based on the first 3 months of the mission: QSO B0836+710, H
1426+428, RX J1924.8-2914, and PKS 2149-306. Especially for blazars during
bright outbursts, as already observed simultaneously by INTEGRAL and Fermi
(e.g. 3C 454.3 and Mrk 421), INTEGRAL provides unique spectral coverage up to
several hundred keV. We present the spectral analysis of INTEGRAL and Fermi
data and demonstrate the potential of INTEGRAL observations of Fermi detected
blazars in outburst by analysing the combined data set of the persistent radio
galaxy Cen A.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, 2009 Fermi Symposium, eConf Proceedings C09112
Compton processes in the bright AGN MCG+8-11-11
We present preliminary results on the hard X-ray emission properties of the
Seyfert 1.5 galaxy MCG+8-11-11 as observed by INTEGRAL and SWIFT. All the
INTEGRAL IBIS/ISGRI data available up to October 2009 have been analyzed
together with two SWIFT/XRT snapshot observations performed in August and
October 2009, quasi-simultaneously to INTEGRAL pointed observations of
MCG+8-11-11. No correlation is observed between the hard X-ray flux and the
spectral slope, while the position of the high-energy cut-off is found to have
varied during the INTEGRAL observations. This points to a change in the
temperature of the Comptonising medium from a minimum value of kT = 30-50 keV
to values larger than 100-150 keV. There is no significant detection of Compton
reflection, with a 3 sigma upper limit of R < 0.2, and no line has been
detected at 112 keV, as previously claimed from HEAT observations (112 keV flux
F < 2.4e-4 ph/cm^2/s). The variability behaviour of MCG+8-11-11 is found to be
similar to that shown by IC 4329A, with different temperatures of the electron
plasma for similar flux levels of the source, while other bright Seyfert
galaxies present different variability patterns at hard X-rays, with spectral
changes correlated to flux variations (e.g. NGC 4151).Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication on PoS (contribution
PoS(INTEGRAL 2010)077), proceedings of the 8th INTEGRAL Workshop "The
Restless Gamma-ray Universe" (September 2010, Dublin, Ireland
Long-term variability of AGN at hard X-rays
Variability at all observed wavelengths is a distinctive property of AGN.
Hard X-rays provide us with a view of the innermost regions of AGN, mostly
unbiased by absorption along the line of sight. Swift/BAT offers the unique
opportunity to follow, on time scales of days to years and with a regular
sampling, the 14-195 keV emission of the largest AGN sample available up to
date for this kind of investigation. We study the amplitude of the variations,
and their dependence on sub-class and on energy, for a sample of 110 radio
quiet and radio loud AGN selected from the BAT 58-month survey. About 80% of
the AGN in the sample are found to exhibit significant variability on months to
years time scales, radio loud sources being the most variable. The amplitude of
the variations and their energy dependence are incompatible with variability
being driven at hard X-rays by changes of the absorption column density. In
general, the variations in the 14-24 and 35-100 keV bands are well correlated,
suggesting a common origin of the variability across the BAT energy band.
However, radio quiet AGN display on average 10% larger variations at 14-24 keV
than at 35-100 keV and a softer-when-brighter behavior for most of the Seyfert
galaxies with detectable spectral variability on month time scale. In addition,
sources with harder spectra are found to be more variable than softer ones.
These properties are generally consistent with a variable power law continuum,
in flux and shape, pivoting at energies >~ 50 keV, to which a constant
reflection component is superposed. When the same time scales are considered,
the timing properties of AGN at hard X-rays are comparable to those at lower
energies, with at least some of the differences possibly ascribable to
components contributing differently in the two energy domains (e.g.,
reflection, absorption).Comment: 17 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in A&
A comprehensive analysis of the hard X-ray spectra of bright Seyfert galaxies
Hard X-ray spectra of 28 bright Seyfert galaxies observed with INTEGRAL were
analyzed together with the X-ray spectra from XMM-Newton, Suzaku and RXTE.
These broad-band data were fitted with a model assuming a thermal
Comptonization as a primary continuum component. We tested several model
options through a fitting of the Comptonized continuum accompanied by a complex
absorption and a Compton reflection. Both the large data set used and the model
space explored allowed us to accurately determine a mean temperature kTe of the
electron plasma, the Compton parameter y and the Compton reflection strength R
for the majority of objects in the sample. Our main finding is that a vast
majority of the sample (20 objects) is characterized by kTe < 100 keV, and only
for two objects we found kTe > 200 keV. The median kTe for entire sample is
48(-14,+57) keV. The distribution of the y parameter is bimodal, with a broad
component centered at ~0.8 and a narrow peak at ~1.1. A complex, dual absorber
model improved the fit for all data sets, compared to a simple absorption
model, reducing the fitted strength of Compton reflection by a factor of about
2. Modest reflection (median R ~0.32) together with a high ratio of Comptonized
to seed photon fluxes point towards a geometry with a compact hard X-ray
emitting region well separated from the accretion disc. Our results imply that
the template Seyferts spectra used in AGN population synthesis models should be
revised.Comment: 26 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Compton reflection in AGN with Simbol-X
AGN exhibit complex hard X-ray spectra. Our current understanding is that the
emission is dominated by inverse Compton processes which take place in the
corona above the accretion disk, and that absorption and reflection in a
distant absorber play a major role. These processes can be directly observed
through the shape of the continuum, the Compton reflection hump around 30 keV,
and the iron fluorescence line at 6.4 keV. We demonstrate the capabilities of
Simbol-X to constrain complex models for cases like MCG-05-23-016, NGC 4151,
NGC 2110, and NGC 4051 in short (10 ksec) observations. We compare the
simulations with recent observations on these sources by INTEGRAL, Swift and
Suzaku. Constraining reflection models for AGN with Simbol-X will help us to
get a clear view of the processes and geometry near to the central engine in
AGN, and will give insight to which sources are responsible for the Cosmic
X-ray background at energies above 20 keV.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of the second
Simbol-X Symposium "Simbol-X - Focusing on the Hard X-ray Universe", AIP
Conf. Proc. Series, P. Ferrando and J. Rodriguez ed
The Second INTEGRAL AGN Catalogue
The INTEGRAL mission provides a large data set for studying the hard X-ray
properties of AGN and allows testing of the unified scheme for AGN. We present
analysis of INTEGRAL IBIS/ISGRI, JEM-X, and OMC data for 199 AGN supposedly
detected by INTEGRAL above 20 keV. The data analysed here allow a significant
spectral extraction on 148 objects and an optical variability study of 57 AGN.
The slopes of the hard X-ray spectra of Seyfert 1 and Seyfert~2 galaxies are
found to be consistent within the uncertainties, whereas higher cut-off
energies and lower luminosities are measured for the more absorbed / type 2
AGN. The intermediate Seyfert 1.5 objects exhibit hard X-ray spectra consistent
with those of Seyfert 1. When applying a Compton reflection model, the
underlying continua appear the same in Seyfert 1 and 2 with photon index 2, and
the reflection strength is about R = 1, when assuming different inclination
angles. A significant correlation is found between the hard X-ray and optical
luminosity and the mass of the central black hole in the sense that the more
luminous objects appear to be more massive. There is also a general trend
toward the absorbed sources and type 2 AGN having lower Eddington ratios. The
black holemass appears to form a fundamental plane together with the optical
and X-ray luminosity of the form Lv being proportional to Lx^0.6 M^0.2, similar
to that found between radio luminosity Lr, Lx, and M. The unified model for
Seyfert galaxies seems to hold, showing in hard X-rays that the central engine
is the same in Seyfert 1 and 2, but seen under different inclination angles and
absorption. (Abridged)Comment: 26 pages, 16 figures, accepted for publication in A&A. Corrections by
language editor included in version
The First INTEGRAL AGN Catalog
We present the first INTEGRAL AGN catalog, based on observations performed
from launch of the mission in October 2002 until January 2004. The catalog
includes 42 AGN, of which 10 are Seyfert 1, 17 are Seyfert 2, and 9 are
intermediate Seyfert 1.5. The fraction of blazars is rather small with 5
detected objects, and only one galaxy cluster and no star-burst galaxies have
been detected so far. A complete subset consists of 32 AGN with a significance
limit of 7 sigma in the INTEGRAL/ISGRI 20-40 keV data. Although the sample is
not flux limited, the distribution of sources shows a ratio of obscured to
unobscured AGN of 1.5 - 2.0, consistent with luminosity dependent unified
models for AGN. Only four Compton-thick AGN are found in the sample. Based on
the INTEGRAL data presented here, the Seyfert 2 spectra are slightly harder
(Gamma = 1.95 +- 0.01) than Seyfert 1.5 (Gamma = 2.10 +- 0.02) and Seyfert 1
(Gamma = 2.11 +- 0.05).Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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