Models of jet production in black hole systems suggest that the properties of the accretion disk-such as its mass accretion rate, inner radius, and emergent magnetic field-should drive and modulate ...the production of relativistic jets. Contemporaneous radio monitoring was done using the Arcminute MicroKelvin Array radio telescope. Two important and simple results are obtained: (1) the jet (as traced by radio flux) does not appear to be modulated by changes in the inner radius of the accretion disk and (2) the jet is sensitive to disk properties, including its flux, temperature, and ionization. Some more complex results may reveal aspects of a coupled disk-corona-jet system. The overall picture that emerges from this study is broadly consistent with some jet-focused models for black hole special energy distributions in which a relativistic plasma is accelerated at z = 10-100 GM/c super(2). We discuss these results in the context of disk-jet connections across the black hole mass scale.
We analyse the spectral variability of MCG-06-30-15 with 600 k s of XMM-Newton data, including 300 k s of new data from the joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR 2013 observational campaign. We use principal ...component analysis to find high-resolution, model-independent spectra of the different variable components of the spectrum. We find that over 99 per cent of the variability can be described by just three components, which are consistent with variations in the normalization of the power-law continuum (∼97 per cent), the photon index (∼2 per cent) and the normalization of a relativistically blurred reflection spectrum (∼0.5 per cent). We also find a fourth significant component but this is heavily diluted by noise, and we can attribute all the remaining spectral variability to noise. All three components are found to be variable on time-scales from 20 down to 1 k s, which corresponds to a distance from the central black hole of less than 70 gravitational radii. We compare these results with those derived from spectral fitting, and find them to be in very good agreement with our interpretation of the principal components. We conclude that the observed relatively weak variability in the reflected component of the spectrum of MCG-06-30-15 is due to the effects of light-bending close to the event horizon of the black hole, and demonstrate that principal component analysis is an effective tool for analysing spectral variability in this regime.
This paper presents the results of a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of a sample of 123 X-ray sources detected with XMM-Newton in the Lockman Hole field. This is the deepest observation carried out ...with XMM-Newton with more that 600 ks of good EPIC-pn data. We have spectra with good signal to noise ( > 500 source counts) for all objects down to 0.2-12 keV fluxes of 65 x 10-15 erg cm-2 s-1 (flux limit of 66 x 10-16 erg cm-2 s-1 in the 0.5-2 and 2-10 keV bands). At the time of the analysis, we had optical spectroscopic identifications for 60% of the sources, 46 being optical type-1 AGN and 28 optical type-2 AGN. Using a single power law model our sources' average spectral slope hardens at faint 0.5-2 keV fluxes but not at faint 2-10 keV fluxes. We have been able to explain this effect in terms of an increase in X-ray absorption at faint fluxes. We did not find in our data any evidence for the existence of a population of faint intrinsically harder sources. The average spectral slope of our sources is 61.9, with an intrinsic dispersion of 60.28. We detected X-ray absorption (F-test significance > 95%) in 37% of the sources, 610% in type-1 AGN (rest-frame NH 6 1.6 x 1021-1.2x 1022 cm-2) and 677% (rest-frame NH 6 1.5 x 1021-4x 1023 cm-2) in type-2 AGN. Using X-ray fluxes corrected for absorption, the fraction of absorbed objects and the absorbing column density distribution did not vary with X-ray flux. Our type-1 and type-2 AGN do not appear to have different continuum shapes, but the distribution of intrinsic (rest-frame) absorbing column densities is different among both classes. A significant fraction of our type-2 AGN (5 out of 28) were found to display no substantial absorption (NH < 1021 cm-2). We discuss possible interpretations to this in terms of Compton-thick AGN and intrinsic Broad Line Region properties. An emission line compatible with Fe Ka was detected in 8 sources (1 type-1 AGN, 5 type-2 AGN and 2 unidentified) with rest frame equivalent widths 120-1000 eV. However weak broad components can be easily missed in other sources by the relatively noisy data. The AGN continuum or intrinsic absorption did not depend on X-ray luminosity and/or redshift. Soft excess emission was detected in 18 objects, but only in 9 (including 4 type-1 AGN and 4 type-2 AGN) could we fit this spectral component with a black body model. The measured 0.5-2 keV luminosities of the fitted black body were not significantly different in type-1 and type-2 AGN, although the temperatures of the black body were slightly higher in type-2 AGN ( < kT > = 0.26 c 0.08) than in type-1 AGN ( < kT > = 0.09 c 0.01). For 9 sources (including 1 type-1 AGN and 3 type-2 AGN) a scattering model provided a better fit of the soft excess emission. We found that the integrated contribution from our sources to the X-ray background in the 2-7 keV band is softer (G = 1.5-1.6) than the background itself, implying that fainter sources need to be more absorbed.
Nemaline myopathy (NM) is a rare congenital neuromuscular disorder characterized by muscle weakness and hypotonia, slow gross motor development, and decreased respiratory function. Mutations in at ...least twelve genes, all of each encode proteins that are either components of the muscle thin filament or regulate its length and stability, have been associated with NM. Mutations in Nebulin (NEB), a giant filamentous protein localized in the sarcomere, account for more than 50% of NM cases. At present, there remains a lack of understanding of whether NEB genotype influences nebulin function and NM-patient phenotypes. In addition, there is a lack of therapeutically tractable models that can enable drug discovery and address the current unmet treatment needs of patients. To begin to address these gaps, here we have characterized five new zebrafish models of NEB-related NM. These mutants recapitulate most aspects of NEB-based NM, showing drastically reduced survival, defective muscle structure, reduced contraction force, shorter thin filaments, presence of electron-dense structures in myofibers, and thickening of the Z-disks. This study represents the first extensive investigation of an allelic series of nebulin mutants, and thus provides an initial examination in pre-clinical models of potential genotype-phenotype correlations in human NEB patients. It also represents the first utilization of a set of comprehensive outcome measures in zebrafish, including correlation between molecular analyses, structural and biophysical investigations, and phenotypic outcomes. Therefore, it provides a rich source of data for future studies exploring the NM pathomechanisms, and an ideal springboard for therapy identification and development for NEB-related NM.
By combining large-scale mosaics of ROSAT PSPC, XMM-Newton, and Suzaku X-ray observations, we present evidence for large-scale motions in the intracluster medium of the nearby, X-ray bright Perseus ...Cluster. These motions are suggested by several alternating and interleaved X-ray bright, low-temperature, low-entropy arcs located along the east-west axis, at radii ranging from ~ 10 kpc to over a Mpc. Thermodynamic features qualitatively similar to these have previously been observed in the centers of cool-core clusters, and were successfully modeled as a consequence of the gas sloshing/swirling motions induced by minor mergers. Our observations indicate that such sloshing/swirling can extend out to larger radii than previously thought, on scales approaching the virial radius.
We present ALMA Cycle 4 observations of CO(1-0), CO(3-2), and {sup 13}CO(3-2) line emission in the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) of RXJ0821+0752. This is one of the first detections of {sup 13}CO ...line emission in a galaxy cluster. Half of the CO(3-2) line emission originates from two clumps of molecular gas that are spatially offset from the galactic center. These clumps are surrounded by diffuse emission that extends 8 kpc in length. The detected {sup 13}CO emission is confined entirely to the two bright clumps, with any emission outside of this region lying below our detection threshold. Two distinct velocity components with similar integrated fluxes are detected in the {sup 12}CO spectra. The narrower component (60 km s{sup −1} FWHM) is consistent in both velocity centroid and linewidth with {sup 13}CO(3-2) emission, while the broader (130–160 km s{sup −1}), slightly blueshifted wing has no associated {sup 13}CO(3-2) emission. A simple local thermodynamic model indicates that the {sup 13}CO emission traces 2.1 × 10{sup 9} M {sub ⊙} of molecular gas. Isolating the {sup 12}CO velocity component that accompanies the {sup 13}CO emission yields a CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor of α {sub CO} = 2.3 M {sub ⊙} (K km s{sup −1}){sup −1}, which is a factor of two lower than the Galactic value. Adopting the Galactic CO-to-H{sub 2} conversion factor in BCGs may therefore overestimate their molecular gas masses by a factor of two. This is within the object-to-object scatter from extragalactic sources, so calibrations in a larger sample of clusters are necessary in order to confirm a sub-Galactic conversion factor.
We present new XMM–Newton data of the high-redshift (z= 1.883), Mpc-sized giant radio galaxy 6C 0905+39. The larger collecting area and longer observation time for our new data means that we can ...better characterize the extended X-ray emission, in particular its spectrum, which arises from cosmic microwave background photons scattered into the X-ray band by the energetic electrons in the spent synchrotron plasma of the (largely) radio-quiet lobes of 6C 0905+39. We calculate the energy that its jet-ejected plasma has dumped into its surroundings in the last 3 × 107yr and discuss the impact that similar, or even more extreme, examples of spent, radio-quiet lobes would have on their surroundings. Interestingly, there is an indication that the emission from the hotspots is softer than the rest of the extended emission and the core, implying it is due to synchrotron emission. We confirm our previous detection of the low-energy turnover in the eastern hotspot of 6C 0905+39.
We present a synthesis model of the X-ray background based on the cross-correlation between mid-infrared and X-ray surveys, where the distribution of type 2 sources is assumed to follow that of ...luminous infrared galaxies while type 1 sources are traced by the observed ROSAT distribution. The best fits to both the X-ray number counts and background spectrum require at least some density evolution. We explore a limited range of parameter space for the evolutionary variables of the type 2 luminosity function. Matching the redshift distribution to that observed in deep Chandra and XMM—Newton fields, we find weak residuals as a signature of Fe emission from sources in a relatively peaked range of redshift. This extends the recent work of Franceschini et al. and emphasizes the possible correlation between obscured active galactic nuclei and star-forming activity.
Abstract
The XMM-Newton spectrum of the black hole candidate XTE J1652−453 shows a broad and strong Fe Kα emission line, generally believed to originate from reflection of the inner accretion disc. ...These data have been analysed by Hiemstra et al. using a variety of phenomenological models. We re-examine the spectrum with a self-consistent relativistic reflection model. A narrow absorption line near 7.2 keV may be present, which if real is likely the Fe xxvi absorption line arising from highly ionized, rapidly outflowing disc wind. The blueshift of this feature corresponds to a velocity of about 11 100 km s−1, which is much larger than the typical values seen in stellar mass black holes. Given that we also find the source to have a low inclination (i ≲ 32°; close to face-on), we would therefore be seeing through the very base of outflow. This could be a possible explanation for the unusually high velocity. We use a reflection model combined with a relativistic convolution kernel which allows for both prograde and retrograde black hole spin, and treat the potential absorption feature with a physical model for a photoionized plasma. In this manner, assuming the disc is not truncated, we could only constrain the spin of the black hole in XTE J1652−453 to be less than ∼0.5 Jc/GM
2 at the 90 per cent confidence limit.
The presence of absorbing gas around the central engine of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a common feature of these objects. Recent work has looked at the effect of the dust component of the gas, ...and how it enhances radiation pressure such that dusty gas can have a lower effective Eddington limit than ionized gas. In this work, we use multiwavelength data and X-ray spectra from the 2 Ms exposures of the Chandra Deep Field-North and Chandra Deep Field-South surveys to characterize the AGN in terms of their Eddington ratio (λ) and hydrogen column density (NH). Their distributions are then compared with what is predicted when considering the coupling between dust and gas. Our final sample consists of 234 objects from both fields, the largest and deepest sample of AGN for which this comparison has been made up to date. We find that most of the AGN in our sample tend to be found at low Eddington ratios (typically 10−4 < λ < 10−1) and high NH (>1022 cm−2), with black hole masses in the range ∼(108–109) M⊙. Their distribution is in agreement with that expected from the enhanced radiation pressure model, avoiding the area where we would predict the presence of outflows. We also investigate how the balance between AGN radiation pressure and gravitational potential influences the behaviour of clouds in the Galactic bulge, and describe a scenario where an enhanced radiation pressure can lead to the Fundamental Plane of black hole/galaxy scaling relations.
PDF
