460 research outputs found
X-ray Spectral and Variability Properties of Low-Mass AGN
We study the X-ray properties of a sample of 14 optically-selected low-mass
AGN whose masses lie within the range 1E5 -2E6 M(solar) with XMM-Newton. Only
six of these low-mass AGN have previously been studied with sufficient quality
X-ray data, thus, we more than double the number of low-mass AGN observed by
XMM-Newton with the addition of our sample. We analyze their X-ray spectral
properties and variability and compare the results to their more massive
counterparts. The presence of a soft X-ray excess is detectable in all five
objects which were not background dominated at 2-3 keV. Combined with previous
studies, this gives a total of 8 low-mass AGN with a soft excess. The low-mass
AGN exhibit rapid, short-term variability (hundreds to thousands of seconds) as
well as long-term variability (months to years). There is a well-known
anti-correlation between black hole mass and variability amplitude (normalized
excess variance). Comparing our sample of low-mass AGN with this relation we
find that all of our sample lie below an extrapolation of the linear relation.
Such a flattening of the relation at low masses (below about 1E6 M(solar)) is
expected if the variability in all AGN follows the same shape power spectrum
with a break frequency that is dependent on mass. Finally, we also found two
objects that show significant absorption in their X-ray spectrum, indicative of
type 2 objects, although they are classified as type 1 AGN based on optical
spectra.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, 7 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
Swift/UVOT grism monitoring of NGC 5548 in 2013: an attempt at MgII reverberation mapping
Reverberation-mapping-based scaling relations are often used to estimate the
masses of black holes from single-epoch spectra of AGN. While the
radius-luminosity relation that is the basis of these scaling relations is
determined using reverberation mapping of the H line in nearby AGN, the
scaling relations are often extended to use other broad emission lines, such as
MgII, in order to get black hole masses at higher redshifts when H is
redshifted out of the optical waveband. However, there is no radius-luminosity
relation determined directly from MgII. Here, we present an attempt to perform
reverberation mapping using MgII in the well-studied nearby Seyfert 1, NGC
5548. We used Swift to obtain UV grism spectra of NGC 5548 once every two days
from April to September 2013. Concurrent photometric UV monitoring with Swift
provides a well determined continuum lightcurve that shows strong variability.
The MgII emission line, however, is not strongly correlated with the continuum
variability, and there is no significant lag between the two. We discuss these
results in the context of using MgII scaling relations to estimate
high-redshift black hole masses.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Revisiting the black hole mass of M87* using VLT/MUSE Adaptive Optics Integral Field Unit data I: Ionized gas kinematics
The stellar dynamic-based black hole mass measurements of M87 are twice that
determined via ionized gas kinematics; the former is closer to the estimation
from the diameter of the gravitationally-lensed ring around the black hole.
Using deeper and more comprehensive ionized gas kinematic data, we aim to
better constrain the morphology and kinematics of the nuclear ionized gas, thus
gaining insights into the reasons behind the disagreement of the measurements.
We use both Narrow and Wide Field Mode integral field spectroscopic data from
the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument, to model the morphology and
kinematics of multiple ionized gas emission lines in the nucleus of M87. The
new deep dataset reveals complexities in the nuclear ionized gas kinematics.
Several ionized gas filaments can be traced down into the projected sphere of
influence. We also found evidence of a partially-filled biconical outflow. The
velocity isophotes of the ionized gas disk are twisted and the position angle
of the innermost gas disk tends toward a value perpendicular to the radio jet
axis. The complexity of the nuclear morphology and kinematics precludes the
measurement of an accurate black hole mass. The results support a 6.0 black hole in a 25\deg disk, rather than a 3.5 black hole in a 42\deg disk. The specific RIAF model
earlier proposed to reconcile the mass measurement discrepancy was also tested.
In general, Keplerian disk models perform better than the RIAF model when
fitting the sub-arcsec ionized gas disk. A disk inclination close to 25\deg for
the nuclear gas disk, and the warp in the sub-arcsec ionized gas disk, help to
reconcile the contradictory nature of the mass discrepancy between stellar and
ionized gas black hole masses, and the mis-orientation between the axes of the
ionized gas disk and the jet.Comment: 21 pages, 22 figures (5 of them in the appendix). Accepted in
Astronomy & Astrophysic
A Single Circumbinary Disk in the HD 98800 Quadruple System
We present sub-arcsecond thermal infrared imaging of HD 98800, a young
quadruple system composed of a pair of low-mass spectroscopic binaries
separated by 0.8'' (38 AU), each with a K-dwarf primary. Images at wavelengths
ranging from 5 to 24.5 microns show unequivocally that the optically fainter
binary, HD 98800B, is the sole source of a comparatively large infrared excess
upon which a silicate emission feature is superposed. The excess is detected
only at wavelengths of 7.9 microns and longer, peaks at 25 microns, and has a
best-fit black-body temperature of 150 K, indicating that most of the dust lies
at distances greater than the orbital separation of the spectroscopic binary.
We estimate the radial extent of the dust with a disk model that approximates
radiation from the spectroscopic binary as a single source of equivalent
luminosity. Given the data, the most-likely values of disk properties in the
ranges considered are R_in = 5.0 +/- 2.5 AU, DeltaR = 13+/-8 AU, lambda_0 =
2(+4/-1.5) microns, gamma = 0+/-2.5, and sigma_total = 16+/-3 AU^2, where R_in
is the inner radius, DeltaR is the radial extent of the disk, lambda_0 is the
effective grain size, gamma is the radial power-law exponent of the optical
depth, tau, and sigma_total is the total cross-section of the grains. The range
of implied disk masses is 0.001--0.1 times that of the moon. These results show
that, for a wide range of possible disk properties, a circumbinary disk is far
more likely than a narrow ring.Comment: 11 page Latex manuscript with 3 postscript figures. Accepted for
publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. Postscript version of complete
paper also available at
http://www.hep.upenn.edu/PORG/web/papers/koerner00a.p
Generalized Bloch model: a theory for pulsed magnetization transfer
Purpose: The paper introduces a classical model to describe the dynamics of
large spin-1/2 ensembles associated with nuclei bound in large molecule
structures, commonly referred to as the semi-solid spin pool, and their
magnetization transfer (MT) to spins of nuclei in
Theory and Methods: Like quantum-mechanical descriptions of spin dynamics and
like the original Bloch equations, but unlike existing MT models, the proposed
model is based on the algebra of angular momentum in the sense that it
explicitly models the rotations induced by radio-frequency (RF) pulses. It
generalizes the original Bloch model to non-exponential decays, which are,
e.g., observed for semi-solid spin pools. The combination of rotations with
non-exponential decays is facilitated by describing the latter as Green's
functions, comprised in an integro-differential equation.
Results: Our model describes the data of an inversion-recovery
magnetization-transfer experiment with varying durations of the inversion pulse
substantially better than established models. We made this observation for all
measured data, but in particular for pulse durations small than 300s.
Furthermore, we provide a linear approximation of the generalized Bloch model
that reduces the simulation time by approximately a factor 15,000, enabling
simulation of the spin dynamics caused by a rectangular RF-pulse in roughly
2s.
Conclusion: The proposed theory unifies the original Bloch model, Henkelman's
steady-state theory for magnetization transfer, and the commonly assumed
rotation induced by hard pulses (i.e., strong and infinitesimally short
applications of RF fields) and describes experimental data better than previous
models
Multi-Wavelength Coverage of State Transitions in the New Black Hole X-Ray Binary Swift J1910.2-0546
Understanding how black holes accrete and supply feedback to their
environment is one of the outstanding challenges of modern astrophysics. Swift
J1910.2-0546 is a candidate black hole low-mass X-ray binary that was
discovered in 2012 when it entered an accretion outburst. To investigate the
binary configuration and the accretion morphology we monitored the evolution of
the outburst for ~3 months at X-ray, UV, optical (B,V,R,I), and near-infrared
(J,H,K) wavelengths using Swift and SMARTS. The source evolved from a hard to a
soft X-ray spectral state with a relatively cold accretion disk that peaked at
~0.5 keV. A Chandra/HETG spectrum obtained during this soft state did not
reveal signatures of an ionized disk wind. Both the low disk temperature and
the absence of a detectable wind could indicate that the system is viewed at
relatively low inclination. The multi-wavelength light curves revealed two
notable features that appear to be related to X-ray state changes. Firstly, a
prominent flux decrease was observed in all wavebands ~1-2 weeks before the
source entered the soft state. This dip occurred in (0.6-10 keV) X-rays ~6 days
later than at longer wavelengths, which could possibly reflect the viscous time
scale of the disk. Secondly, about two weeks after the source transitioned back
into the hard state, the UV emission significantly increased while the X-rays
steadily decayed. We discuss how these observations may reflect changes in the
accretion flow morphology, perhaps related to the quenching/launch of a jet or
the collapse/recovery of a hot flow.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. To be published in Ap
Numerical evolution of multiple black holes with accurate initial data
We present numerical evolutions of three equal-mass black holes using the
moving puncture approach. We calculate puncture initial data for three black
holes solving the constraint equations by means of a high-order multigrid
elliptic solver. Using these initial data, we show the results for three black
hole evolutions with sixth-order waveform convergence. We compare results
obtained with the BAM and AMSS-NCKU codes with previous results. The
approximate analytic solution to the Hamiltonian constraint used in previous
simulations of three black holes leads to different dynamics and waveforms. We
present some numerical experiments showing the evolution of four black holes
and the resulting gravitational waveform.Comment: Published in PR
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