scholarly journals Soft X-ray Spectra of Seyfert Galaxies

1989 ◽  
Vol 134 ◽  
pp. 173-174
Author(s):  
C. M. Urry ◽  
J. S. Kruper ◽  
C. R. Canizares

The first X-ray (2–10 keV) spectral surveys of active galactic nuclei (AGN) were remarkably uniform, with spectral indices narrowly distributed about α=0.65, independent of radio-emitting properties or X-ray luminosity (Mushotzky 1984). In the few AGN detected above 20 keV, this canonical power law extended to at least 50 keV (Rothschild et al. 1983, Pounds 1985, Worrall et al. 1980; Halpern 1982; Worrall and Marshall 1984). In practice these surveys were dominated by low luminosity Seyfert 1 galaxies.

1999 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 306-310
Author(s):  
Q. Yuan ◽  
J. Wu ◽  
K. Huang

This paper presents a test of the luminosity correlation of the X-ray selected radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), based on a large sample constructed by combining our cross-identification of southern sky sources with the radio-loud sources in the northern hemisphere given by Brinkmann et al. (1995). All sources were detected both by the ROSAT All-Sky Survey and the radio surveys at 4.85 GHz. The broad band energy distribution confirms the presence of strong correlations between luminosities in the radio, optical, and X-ray bands which differ for quasars, seyferts, BL Lacs, and radio galaxies. The tight correlations between spectral indices αox and monochromatic luminosities at 5500 Å and 4.85 GHz are also shown.


1984 ◽  
Vol 287 ◽  
pp. 534 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Schlosman ◽  
J. Shaham ◽  
G. Shaviv

1983 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 491-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.C. Fabian

Recent X-ray observations of active galactic nuclei and Seyfert galaxies in particular are briefly reviewed. The application of the efficiency limit to rapidly varying luminous sources such as NGC 6814 is discussed. It is argued that the variability and probable MeV spectral turnover imply that most of the electrons which radiate the observed flux are only mildly relativistic. A possible link between the steep soft X-ray spectra and featureless optical continua of BL Lac objects is considered.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-95
Author(s):  
Matteo Guainazzi

In this paper I discuss the status of observational studies aiming at probing the cosmological evolution of the central engine in high-luminosity, high-accretion rate Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). X-ray spectroscopic surveys, supported by extensive multi-wavelength coverage, indicate a remarkable invariance of the accretion disk plus corona system, and of their coupling up to redshifts z≈6. Furthermore, hard X-ray (<em>E</em> &gt;10 keV) surveys show that nearby Seyfert Galaxies share the same central engine notwithstanding their optical classication. These results suggest that the high-luminosity, high accretion rate quasar phase of AGN evolution is homogeneous over cosmological times.


1986 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 269-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Barr ◽  
R. Mushotzky ◽  
P. Giommi ◽  
J. Clavel ◽  
W. Wamsteker

SummaryRecent EXOSAT observations of active galactic nuclei are presented. Unlike earlier X-ray satellites (all of which flew in low earth orbit), the deep orbit of EXOSAT allows long continuous observations of celestial X-ray sources, uninterrupted by earth occultation etc. We present the results of EXOSAT observations of several AGN which have been seen to vary rapidly (timescale 0.2–6 hours). We also consider the implications of rapid variability in AGN. For Seyfert galaxies and quasars, we find a highly significant correlation between the timescale of variability and their X-ray luminosity. They are not, howwever, bounded either by the (classical) Eddington limit nor by efficiency arguments. We sugest, rather, that the emitting plasma is dominated by electron-positron pairs.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S290) ◽  
pp. 37-40
Author(s):  
O. González-Martín ◽  
S. Vaughan

AbstractWe have performed a uniform analysis of the power spectrum densities (PSDs) of 104 nearby (z<0.4) active galactic nuclei (AGN) using 209 XMM-Newton/pn observations, including several AGN classes. These PSDs span ≃ 3 decades in temporal frequencies, ranging from minutes to days. We have fitted each PSD to two models: (1) a single power-law model and (2) a bending power-law model. A fraction of 72% show significant variability. The PSD of the majority of the variable AGN was well described by a simple power-law with a mean index of α = 2.01±0.01. In 15 sources we found that the bending power law model was preferred with a mean slope of α = 3.08±0.04 and a mean bend frequency of 〈νb〉 ≃ 2 × 10−4 Hz. Only KUG 1031+398 (RE J1034+396) shows evidence for quasi-periodic oscillations. The ‘fundamental plane’ relating variability timescale, black hole mass, and luminosity is demonstrated using the new X-ray timing results presented here together with a compilation of the previously detected timescales from the literature.


1980 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 623-630
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Weedman

Preparing this review was my just punishment for stating only two years ago - in another review (Weedman 1977) - that Seyfert galaxies are not strong X-ray sources. I said that because, as recently as three years ago, NGC 4151 was the only Seyfert galaxy known as an X-ray source. Now we have 36 Seyfert 1 galaxies, along with 12 other galaxies with strong emission-line nuclei, that are X-ray sources. And this is all without even having HEAO-2 data at our disposal yet. The study of active galactic nuclei with X-ray astronomy is progressing so rapidly that a reviewer feels almost hopeless. The best I can do is summarize what is known as of the summer of 1979 and give a simple overview of how X-ray and other properties relate.Some excellent reviews of the X-ray properties of Seyfert and other emission-line galaxies already exist. I especially recommend that by Andrew Wilson (1979). He provides very complete references as of a year ago, but X-ray astronomy is progressing so rapidly that he then had only somewhat more than half the active nuclei now in Tables 1 and 2. It was the group working with the Ariel V SSI that made the initial comprehensive X-ray studies of Seyfert galaxies (Ward et al. 1977, Elvis et al. 1978). The UHURU results for Seyfert galaxies followed soon after and are summarized by Tananbaum et al. (1978); the HEAO-A-2 survey results are now in press (Marshall et al. 1979) I have tried to incorporate these and other recent results in Tables 1 and 2.


2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (3) ◽  
pp. 3553-3561 ◽  
Author(s):  
D R Ballantyne

ABSTRACT A warm corona at the surface of an accretion disc has been proposed as a potential location for producing the soft excess commonly observed in the X-ray spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In order to fit the observed data, the gas must be at temperatures of ∼1 keV and have an optical depth of τT ≈ 10–20. We present one-dimensional calculations of the physical conditions and emitted spectra of a τT = 10 or 20 gas layer subject to illumination from an X-ray power law (from above), a blackbody (from below), and a variable amount of internal heating. The models show that a warm corona with kT ∼ 1 keV can develop, producing a strong Comptonized soft excess, but only if the internal heating flux is within a relatively narrow range. Similarly, if the gas density of the layer is too large then efficient cooling will stop a warm corona from forming. The radiation from the hard X-ray power law is crucial in producing a warm corona, indicating that a warm and hot corona may coexist in AGN accretion discs, and their combined effect leads to the observed soft excess. Intense heating of a warm corona leads to steep X-ray spectra with ionized Fe K α lines, similar to those seen in some narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies.


1996 ◽  
Vol 152 ◽  
pp. 45-49
Author(s):  
J.P.D. Mittaz ◽  
R. Lieu ◽  
S. Bowyer ◽  
C.-Y. Hwang ◽  
J. Lewis

We present a synoptic study of active galactic nuclei (AGN) detected by EUVE. We also present complementary ROSAT PSPC spectra for these sources and for other AGN in directions of low galactic absorption. It is found that the best-fit power-law photon indices of the X-ray spectra at 0.1–2.4 keV are anti-correlated with their galactic hydrogen columns. The indices for the 0.9–2.4 keV range do not show such a correlation, and are considerably smaller (i.e. flatter). We discuss a number of possible interpretations of this correlation but only one of these, the presence of a partially ionized absorbing gas in the AGN, explains the observations satisfactorily. The ubiquity of this effect suggests that this component be may very common in AGN.


1983 ◽  
Vol 104 ◽  
pp. 345-346
Author(s):  
M. Kafatos ◽  
Jean A. Eilek

The origin of the high energy (X-ray and gamma-ray) background may be attributed to discrete sources, which are usually thought to be active galactic nuclei (AGN) (cf. Rothschild et al. 1982, Bignami et al. 1979). At X-rays a lot of information has been obtained with HEAO-1 in the spectral range 2–165 keV. At gamma-rays the background has been estimated from the Apollo 15 and 16 (Trombka et al. 1977) and SAS-2 (Bignami et al. 1979) observations. A summary of some of the observations (Rothschild et al. 1982) is shown in Figure 1. The contribution of AGN to the diffuse high energy background is uncertain at X-rays although it is generally estimated to be in the 20–30% range (Rothschild et al. 1982). At gamma-rays, in the range 1–150 MeV, AGN (specifically Seyfert galaxies) could account for all the emission.


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