The XMm Newton Iron Line Profile of NGC 3783

We report on observations of the iron K line in the nearby Seyfert 1 galaxy, NGC 3783, obtained in a long, two-orbit (~240 ks) XMM-Newton observation. The line profile obtained exhibits two strong narrow peaks at 6.4 and 7.0 keV, with measured line equivalent widths of 120 and 35 eV, respectively. The 6.4 keV emission is the Kα line from near neutral Fe, while the 7.0 keV feature probably originates from a blend of the neutral Fe Kβ line and the hydrogen-like line of Fe at 6.97 keV. The relatively narrow velocity width of the Kα line (lesssim5000 km s-1), its lack of response to the continuum emission on short timescales, and the detection of a neutral Compton reflection component are all consistent with a distant origin in Compton-thick matter such as the putative molecular torus. A strong absorption line from highly ionized iron (at 6.67 keV) is detected in the time-averaged iron line profile, while the depth of the feature appears to vary with time, being strongest when the continuum flux is higher. The iron absorption line probably arises from the highest ionization component of the known warm absorber in NGC 3783, with an ionization of log ξ ~ 3 and column density of NH ~ 5 × 10[Superscript: 22] cm[Superscript: -2] and may originate from within 0.1 pc of the nucleus. A weak red wing to the iron K line profile is also detected below 6.4 keV. However, when the effect of the highly ionized warm absorber on the underlying continuum is taken into account, the requirement for a relativistic iron line component from the inner disk is reduced

Evidence for Gravitational Infall of Matter onto the Supermasive Black Hole in the Quasar PG

We report the detection of redshifted iron Kα absorption lines in the Chandra LETG spectrum of the narrow-line quasar PG 1211+143. The absorption lines are observed at 4.22 and 4.93 keV in the quasar spectrum, corresponding to 4.56 and 5.33 keV in the rest frame of PG 1211+143. From Monte Carlo simulations, the chance probability of both lines being false detections is low at 1.36 × 10-4. Highly redshifted ionized iron Kα (Fe XXV or Fe XXVI) is the most plausible identification for the lines at their observed energies. If identified with H-like iron Kα at 6.97 keV, then the relativistic velocity shifts required are 0.40c and 0.26c. The extreme velocities can be explained by pure gravitational redshift if the matter exists in a stable orbit within 6 gravitational radii of the black hole. This would require a Kerr metric for the black hole. Alternatively, the absorption may be the result of matter infalling directly onto the black hole, with a maximum observed velocity of 0.38c at 6Rg in the Schwarzschild metric. This matter may originate in a failed outflow or jet, which does not escape the gravitational potential of the black hole

Reddening, emission-line, and intrinsic absorption properties in the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Arakelian 564

We use Hubble Space Telescope UV and optical spectra of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy Ark 564 to investigate its internal reddening and properties of its emission-line and intrinsic UV absorption gas. We find that the extinction curve of Ark 564, derived from a comparison of its UV/optical continuum to that of an unreddened NLS1, lacks a 2200 Å bump and turns up toward the UV at a longer wavelength (4000 Å) than the standard Galactic, LMC, and SMC curves. However, it does not show the extremely steep rise to 1200 Å that characterizes the extinction curve of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3227. The emission lines and continuum experience the same amount of reddening, indicating the presence of a dust screen that is external to the narrow-line region. Echelle spectra from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph show intrinsic UV absorption lines due to Lyα, N V, C IV, Si IV, and Si III, centered at a radial velocity of -190 km s-1 (relative to the host galaxy). Photoionization models of the UV absorber indicate that it has a sufficient column (NH = 1.6 × 1021 cm-2) and is at a sufficient distance from the nucleus (D > 95 pc) to be the source of the dust screen. Thus, Ark 564 contains a dusty "lukewarm absorber" similar to that seen in NGC 3227