scholarly journals Measuring the supermassive black hole parameters with space missions

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S238) ◽  
pp. 475-476
Author(s):  
Alexander F. Zakharov

AbstractRecent X-ray observations of microquasars and Seyfert galaxies reveal broad emission lines in their spectra, which can arise in the innermost parts of accretion disks. Recently Müller & Camenzind (2004) classified different types of spectral line shapes and described their origin. Zakharov (2006b) clarified their conclusions about an origin of doubled peaked and double horned line shapes in the framework of a radiating annulus model and discussed s possibility to evaluate black hole parameters analyzing spectral line shapes.

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 2321-2325 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. ZAKHAROV

In the article we review observational features of black holes where an influence of a gravitational field is dominant and we must use strong gravitational field approach for GR. Recent X-ray observations of microquasars and Seyfert galaxies reveal broad emission lines in their spectra, which can arise in the innermost parts of accretion disks. Simulations indicate that at low inclination angle the line is measured by a distant observer as characteristic two-peak profile. However, at high inclination angles (> 85°) two additional peaks arise. This phenomenon was discovered by Matt et al. (1993) using the Schwarzschild black hole metric to analyze such an effect. They assumed that the effect is applicable to a Kerr metric far beyond the range of parameters that they exploited. We check and confirm their hypothesis about such a structure of the spectral line shape for the Kerr metric case. We discuss how analysis of the iron spectral line shapes could give an information about an upper limit of magnetic field near black hole horizon.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (S275) ◽  
pp. 100-101
Author(s):  
T. Dauser ◽  
J. Wilms ◽  
C. S. Reynolds ◽  
L. W. Brenneman

AbstractWe present an extended scheme for the calculation of the profiles of emission lines from accretion disks around rotating black holes. The scheme includes disks with angular momenta which are parallel and antiparallel with respect to the black hole's angular momentum, as both configurations are assumed to be stable (King et al. 2005). Based on a Green's function approach, an arbitrary radius dependence of the disk emissivity and arbitrary limb darkening laws can be easily taken into account, while the amount of precomputed data is significantly reduced with respect to other available models. We discuss line shapes for such disks and present a code for modelling observational data with this scheme in X-ray data analysis programs. A detailed discussion will soon be presented in a forthcoming paper (Dauser et al. 2010).


2019 ◽  
Vol 880 (2) ◽  
pp. 96 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Mediavilla ◽  
J. Jiménez-vicente ◽  
J. Mejía-restrepo ◽  
V. Motta ◽  
E. Falco ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
V. Zhdanov ◽  
E. Fedorova ◽  
M. Khelashvili

The line profiles like that of the fluorescent Fe K or Co K lines in the X-ray spectra of the active galactic nuclei (AGN) reflect characteristics of the central regions of these objects. These lines can be formed in the accretion disks around central supermassive black holes and their shapes are connected with the central black hole spin and the accretion disk inclination angle to the line-of-the-sight. If an AGN is a source of a gravitational lens system with microlensing events, one can get an additional important information about both the accretion disk parameters and gravitational lens parameters as well. Microlensing processes were observed in such gravitational lens systems, as PKS 1830-211, B0218+357, RX J1131-1231 i HE1104-1805, Q2237+0305 and we can suspect to observe there also the spectral appearances of microlensing. Here we performed the numerical simulations of the microlensed relativistic spectral line profiles formed in the AGN accretion disks. Using the inear caustic model we show that the time dependence of the profile is determined essentially by the angle between to the disk axis and the caustic. This gives us an opportunity to assess this orientation. Microlens caustics magnify some parts of the accretion disk more prominently than others. Due to the Doppler effects and differences in the rotation direction this leads to the frequency-dependent magnification which distorts the profile of a relativistic spectral line. Such deformations are variable with time due to relative motions of the source and the microlens, and they can give us possibility to obtain some additional information about the disk brightness profile and caustic orientation relatively to the disk. Here we consider the thin disk model, Schwarzschild black hole, and the linear caustic approximation as well. The numerical simulations of the relativistic emission line profiles distorted by strong gravitational microlensing effect were performed for several different orientations of the linear caustic relatively to the disk, as well as several inclinations of the disk to the line-of-the-sight. Basic presumptions for the numerical modeling were the following: (a) AGN is a source in the gravitational lens system and it its inner parts the luminescent emission lines with relativistic profiles are being emitted; (b) this line is formed in the thin accretion disk quite far away from the central black hole and can be calculated with no taking into account the relativistic effects; (c) the caustic can be considered as a linear one. We show that the relative orientation of the caustic and the disk can be determined from emission lines profiles. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that the difference between profiles corresponding to different caustic orientations appears to be more prominent during the first half of the strong microlensing event, namely, before the crossing the disk center, and this dependence is irrespective to the accretion disk brightness profile. We show that for the spectral accuracy level high enough we have a perspective to determine the caustic orientation from the observational data.


2019 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
pp. A26
Author(s):  
S. Ronchini ◽  
F. Tombesi ◽  
F. Vagnetti ◽  
F. Panessa ◽  
G. Bruni

Context. We have investigated the dichotomy between jetted and non-jetted active galactic nuclei (AGNs), focusing on the fundamental differences of these two classes in the accretion physics onto the central supermassive black hole (SMBH). We tested the validity of the unification model of AGNs through the characterization of the mutual interaction between accreting and outflowing matter in radio galaxies. Aims. Our aim is to study and constrain the structure, kinematics and physical state of the nuclear environment in the broad line radio galaxy (BLRG) PKS 2251+11. The high X-ray luminosity and the relative proximity make such AGN an ideal candidate for a detailed analysis of the accretion regions in radio galaxies. The investigation will help to shed light on the analogies and differences between the BLRGs and the larger class of radio-quiet Seyfert galaxies and hence on the processes that trigger the launch of a relativistic jet. Methods. We performed a spectral and timing analysis of a ∼64 ks observation of PKS 2251+11 in the X-ray band with XMM-Newton. We modeled the spectrum considering an absorbed power law superimposed to a reflection component. We performed a time-resolved spectral analysis to search for variability of the X-ray flux and of the individual spectral components. Results. We find that the power law has a photon index Γ = 1.8 ± 0.1, absorbed by an ionized partial covering medium with a column density NH = (10.1 ± 0.8) × 1023 cm−2, a ionization parameter log ξ = 1.3 ± 0.1 erg s−1 cm and a covering factor f ≃ 90%. Considering a density of the absorber typical of the broad line region (BLR), its distance from the central SMBH is of the order of r ∼ 0.1 pc. An Fe Kα emission line is found at 6.4 keV, whose intensity shows variability on timescales of hours. We derive that the reflecting material is located at a distance r ≳ 600rs, where rs is the Schwarzschild radius. Conclusions. Concerning the X-ray properties, we found that PKS 2251+11 does not differ significantly from the non-jetted AGNs, confirming the validity of the unified model in describing the inner regions around the central SMBH, but the lack of information regarding the state of the very innermost disk and SMBH spin still leaves unconstrained the origin of the jet.


1999 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 313-316
Author(s):  
Rumen Bachev

A thin accretion disk could be not only the energy source of AGN but also the matter producing broad emission lines of Seyfert 1 type nuclei (Dumont & Collin-Souffrin, 1990 B). A possible mechanism for this is reprocessing of central hard X-ray radiation by the outer (at 102–5 RG, RG is the Schwarzschild radius), low-temperature regions of the disk. This mechanism is effective enough especially if the disk is a non-planar structure (a warped or twisted disk), when the outer parts could be directly seen from the centre. An accretion disk around a Kerr black hole could be twisted if the angular momentum of the accreting gas is initially not aligned with the rotation axis of the hole. Due to the differential Lense-Thirring precession of orbits around a Kerr black hole, a viscous disk is a steady but non-planar structure. This is the well-known Bardeen-Petterson effect (Bardeen & Petterson, 1975). Near the hole, at distances R>RBP, where RBP is the Bardeen-Petterson radius, the flow is aligned with the equatorial plane of the black hole, while at larger distances it is tilted to its initial orbital plane (Fig. 1).


2003 ◽  
Vol 214 ◽  
pp. 97-100
Author(s):  
Alexander F. Zakharov ◽  
Serge V. Repin

Observations of Seyfert galaxies in X-ray region reveal the wide emissive lines in their spectra, which can arise in inner parts of accretion disks, where the effects of General Relativity (GR) must be taken into account. A spectrum of a solitary emission line of a hot spot in Kerr accretion disk is simulated, depending on the radial coordinate r and the angular momentum a = J/M of a black hole, under the assumption of equatorial circular motion of a hot spot. It is shown that the characteristic two-peak line profile with the sharp edges arises at a large distance, (about r ≈ (3 − 10) rg). The inner regions emit the line, which is observed with one maximum and extremely wide red wing. We present results of simulations for the isothermal and Shakura – Sunayev disks.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S267) ◽  
pp. 299-306
Author(s):  
Guido Risaliti

AbstractWe present new evidence of X-ray absorption variability on time scales from a few hours to a few days for several nearby bright AGNs. The observed NH variations imply that the X-ray absorber is made of clouds eclipsing the X-ray source with velocities in excess of 103 km s−1, and densities, sizes and distances from the central black hole typical of BLR clouds. We conclude that the variable X-ray absorption is due to the same clouds emitting the broad emission lines in the optical/UV. We then concentrate on the two highest signal-to-noise spectra of eclipses, discovered in two long observations of NGC 1365 and Mrk 766, and we show that the obscuring clouds have a cometary shape, with a high density head followed by a tail with decreasing NH. Our results show that X-ray time resolved spectroscopy can be a powerful way to directly measure the physical and geometrical properties of BLR clouds.


2004 ◽  
Vol 606 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher W. Mauche ◽  
Duane A. Liedahl ◽  
Benjamin F. Mathiesen ◽  
Mario A. Jimenez‐Garate ◽  
John C. Raymond

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