UP - logo
E-viri
Recenzirano Odprti dostop
  • NuSTAR AND XMM-NEWTON OBSER...
    Fürst, F.; Müller, C.; Madsen, K. K.; Lanz, L.; Rivers, E.; Brightman, M.; Arevalo, P.; Balokovi, M.; Beuchert, T.; Boggs, S. E.; Christensen, F. E.; Craig, W. W.; Dauser, T.; Farrah, D.; Graefe, C.; Hailey, C. J.; Harrison, F. A.; Kadler, M.; King, A.; Krauß, F.; Madejski, G.; Matt, G.; Marinucci, A.; Markowitz, A.; Ogle, P.; Ojha, R.; Rothschild, R.; Stern, D.; Walton, D. J.; Wilms, J.; Zhang, W.

    Astrophysical journal/˜The œAstrophysical journal, 03/2016, Letnik: 819, Številka: 2
    Journal Article

    ABSTRACT We present simultaneous XMM-Newton and Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observations spanning 3-78 keV of the nearest radio galaxy, Centaurus A (Cen A). The accretion geometry around the central engine in Cen A is still debated, and we investigate possible configurations using detailed X-ray spectral modeling. NuSTAR imaged the central region of Cen A with subarcminute resolution at X-ray energies above 10 keV for the first time, but found no evidence for an extended source or other off-nuclear point sources. The XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra agree well and can be described with an absorbed power law with a photon index Γ = 1.815 0.005 and a fluorescent line in good agreement with literature values. The spectrum does not require a high-energy exponential rollover, with a constraint of Efold > 1 MeV. A thermal Comptonization continuum describes the data well, with parameters that agree with values measured by INTEGRAL, in particular an electron temperature kTe between 100-300 keV and seed photon input temperatures between 5 and 50 eV. We do not find evidence for reflection or a broad iron line and put stringent upper limits of R < 0.01 on the reflection fraction and accretion disk illumination. We use archival Chandra data to estimate the contribution from diffuse emission, extra-nuclear point sources, and the outer X-ray jet to the observed NuSTAR and XMM-Newton X-ray spectra and find the contribution to be negligible. We discuss different scenarios for the physical origin of the observed hard X-ray spectrum and conclude that the inner disk is replaced by an advection-dominated accretion flow or that the X-rays are dominated by synchrotron self-Compton emission from the inner regions of the radio jet or a combination thereof.