We present results of time-series analysis of the first year of the Fairall 9 intensive disc-reverberation campaign. We used Swift and the Las Cumbres Observatory global telescope network to ...continuously monitor Fairall 9 from X-rays to near-infrared at a daily to subdaily cadence. The cross-correlation function between bands provides evidence for a lag spectrum consistent with the τ ∝ λ^(4/3) scaling expected for an optically thick, geometrically thin blackbody accretion disc. Decomposing the flux into constant and variable components, the variable component’s spectral energy distribution is slightly steeper than the standard accretion disc prediction. We find evidence at the Balmer edge in both the lag and flux spectra for an additional bound-free continuum contribution that may arise from reprocessing in the broad-line region. The inferred driving light curve suggests two distinct components, a rapidly variable (<4 d) component arising from X-ray reprocessing, and a more slowly varying (>100 d) component with an opposite lag to the reverberation signal.
Accretion disks around neutron stars regularly undergo sudden strong irradiation by Type-I X-ray bursts powered by unstable thermonuclear burning on the stellar surface. We investigate the impact on ...the disk during one of the first X-ray burst observations with the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) on the International Space Station. The burst is seen from Aql X-1 during the hard spectral state. In addition to thermal emission from the neutron star, the burst spectrum exhibits an excess of soft X-ray photons below 1 keV, where NICER's sensitivity peaks. We interpret the excess as a combination of reprocessing by the strongly photoionized disk and enhancement of the pre-burst persistent flux, possibly due to Poynting-Robertson drag or coronal reprocessing. This is the first such detection for a short sub-Eddington burst. As these bursts are observed frequently, NICER will be able to study how X-ray bursts affect the disk and corona for a range of accreting neutron star systems and disk states.
We conducted the first long-term (60 d), multiwavelength (optical, ultraviolet, UV, and X-ray) simultaneous monitoring of Cen X-4 with daily Swift observations from 2012 June to August, with the goal ...of understanding variability in the low-mass X-ray binary Cen X-4 during quiescence. We found Cen X-4 to be highly variable in all energy bands on time-scales from days to months, with the strongest quiescent variability a factor of 22 drop in the X-ray count rate in only 4 d. The X-ray, UV and optical (V band) emission are correlated on time-scales down to less than 110 s. The shape of the correlation is a power law with index γ about 0.2-0.6. The X-ray spectrum is well fitted by a hydrogen neutron star (NS) atmosphere (kT = 59-80 eV) and a power law (with spectral index Γ = 1.4-2.0), with the spectral shape remaining constant as the flux varies. Both components vary in tandem, with each responsible for about 50 per cent of the total X-ray flux, implying that they are physically linked. We conclude that the X-rays are likely generated by matter accreting down to the NS surface. Moreover, based on the short time-scale of the correlation, we also unambiguously demonstrate that the UV emission cannot be due to either thermal emission from the stream impact point, or a standard optically thick, geometrically thin disc. The spectral energy distribution shows a small UV emitting region, too hot to arise from the accretion disc, that we identified as a hotspot on the companion star. Therefore, the UV emission is most likely produced by reprocessing from the companion star, indeed the vertical size of the disc is small and can only reprocess a marginal fraction of the X-ray emission. We also found the accretion disc in quiescence to likely be UV faint, with a minimal contribution to the whole UV flux.
ABSTRACT
We explore a disc origin for the highly blueshifted, variable absorption lines seen in the X-ray spectrum of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224−3809. The blueshift corresponds to a ...velocity of ∼0.25c. Such features in other active galactic nuclei are often interpreted as ultrafast outflows. The velocity is of course present in the orbital motions of the inner disc. The absorption lines in IRAS 13224−3809 are best seen when the flux is low and the reflection component of the disc is strong relative to the power-law continuum. The spectra are consistent with a model in which the reflection component passes through a thin, highly ionized absorbing layer at the surface of the inner disc, the blueshifted side of which dominates the flux due to relativistic aberration (the disc inclination is about 70°). No fast outflow need occurs beyond the disc.
We present a flux-resolved X-ray analysis of the dwarf Seyfert 1.8 galaxy NGC 4395, based on three archival XMM-Newton and one archival NuSTAR observations. The source is known to harbor a low-mass ...black hole ( ) and shows strong variability in the full X-ray range during these observations. We model the flux-resolved spectra of the source assuming three absorbing layers: neutral, mildly ionized, and highly ionized ( , , and 3.8 × 1022 cm−2, respectively). The source also shows intrinsic variability by a factor of ∼3 on short timescales, which is due to changes in the nuclear flux, assumed to be a power law (Γ = 1.6-1.67). Our results show a positive correlation between the intrinsic flux and the absorbers' ionization parameter. The covering fraction of the neutral absorber varies during the first XMM-Newton observation, which could explain the pronounced soft X-ray variability. However, the source remains fully covered by this layer during the other two observations, largely suppressing the soft X-ray variability. This suggests an inhomogeneous and layered structure in the broad-line region. We also find a difference in the characteristic timescale of the power spectra between different energy ranges and observations. We finally show simulated spectra with XRISM, eXTP, and Athena, which will allow us to characterize the different absorbers, study their dynamics, and will help us identify their locations and sizes.
We study the X-ray properties of a sample of 14 optically selected low-mass active galactic nuclei (AGN) whose masses lie within the range 10...-2 x 10... M... with XMM-Newton. Only six of these ...low-mass AGN have previously been studied with sufficient quality X-ray data, thus, we have more than double the number of low-mass AGN observed by XMM-Newton with the addition of our sample. We analyse 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 eight low-mass AGN with a soft excess. The low-mass AGN exhibit rapid, short-term variability (hundreds to thousands of seconds) and long-term variability (months to years). There is a well-known anticorrelation 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 ~10... M...) 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. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)
We perform a reflection study on a new observation of the neutron star (NS) low-mass X-ray binary Aquila X-1 taken with NuSTAR during the 2016 August outburst and compare with the 2014 July outburst. ...The source was captured at ∼32% LEdd, which is over four times more luminous than the previous observation during the 2014 outburst. Both observations exhibit a broadened Fe line profile. Through reflection modeling, we determine that the inner disk is truncated (where Rg = GM/c2) and (errors quoted at the 90% confidence level). Fiducial NS parameters (MNS = 1.4 M , RNS = 10 km) give a stellar radius of RNS = 4.85 Rg; our measurements rule out a disk extending to that radius at more than the 6 level of confidence. We are able to place an upper limit on the magnetic field strength of B ≤ 3.0-4.5 × 109 G at the magnetic poles, assuming that the disk is truncated at the magnetospheric radius in each case. This is consistent with previous estimates of the magnetic field strength for Aquila X-1. However, if the magnetosphere is not responsible for truncating the disk prior to the NS surface, we estimate a boundary layer with a maximum extent of and . Additionally, we compare the magnetic field strength inferred from the Fe line profile of Aquila X-1 and other NS low-mass X-ray binaries to known accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars.
ABSTRACT We systematically reanalyze two previous observations of the black hole (BH) GX 339-4 in the very high and intermediate state taken with XMM-Newton and Suzaku. We utilize up-to-date data ...reduction procedures and implement the recently developed, self-consistent model for X-ray reflection and relativistic ray tracing, relxill. In the very high and intermediate state, the rate of accretion is high and thus the disk remains close to the innermost stable circular orbit. We require a common spin parameter and inclination when fitting the two observations since these parameters should remain constant across all states. This allows for the most accurate determination of the spin parameter of this galactic BH binary from fitting the Fe K emission line and provides a chance to test previous estimates. We find GX 339-4 to be consistent with a near maximally spinning BH with a spin parameter with an inclination of 36° 4°. This spin value is consistent with previous high estimates for this object. Further, if the inner disk is aligned with the binary inclination, this modest inclination returns a high BH mass, but they need not be aligned. Additionally, we explore how the spin is correlated with the power of the jet emitted but find no correlation between the two.
GRS 1915+105 harbors one of the most massive known stellar black holes in the Galaxy. In 2007 May, we observed GRS 1915+105 for ~117 ks in the low/hard state using Suzaku. We collected and analyzed ...the data with the Hard X-ray Detector/Positive Intrinsic Negative and X-ray Spectrometer cameras spanning the energy range from 2.3 to 55 keV. Fits to the spectra with simple models reveal strong disk reflection through an Fe K emission line and a Compton backscattering hump. We report constraints on the spin parameter of the black hole in GRS 1915 + 105 using relativistic disk reflection models. The model for the soft X-ray spectrum (i.e., < 10 keV) suggests and excludes zero spin at the 4 Delta *s level of confidence. The model for the full broadband spectrum suggests that the spin may be higher, (1 Delta *s confidence), and again excludes zero spin at the 2 Delta *s level of confidence. We discuss these results in the context of other spin constraints and inner disk studies in GRS 1915 + 105.
X-ray disk winds are detected in spectrally soft, disk-dominated phases of stellar-mass black hole outbursts. In contrast, compact, steady, relativistic jets are detected in spectrally hard states ...that are dominated by non-thermal X-ray emission. Although these distinctive outflows appear to be almost mutually exclusive, it is possible that a disk wind persists in hard states but cannot be detected via X-ray absorption lines owing to very high ionization. Here, we present an analysis of a deep, 60 ks Chandra/HETGS observation of the black hole candidate H 1743?322 in the low/hard state. The spectrum shows no evidence of a disk wind, with tight limits, and within the range of ionizing flux levels that were measured in prior Chandra observations wherein a wind was clearly detected. In H 1743?322, at least, disk winds are actually diminished in the low/hard state, and disk winds and jets are likely state dependent and anti-correlated. These results suggest that although the launching radii of winds and jets may differ by orders of magnitude, they may both be tied to a fundamental property of the inner accretion flow, such as the mass accretion rate and/or the magnetic field topology of the disk. We discuss these results in the context of disk winds and jets in other stellar-mass black holes, and possible launching mechanisms for black hole outflows.
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