scholarly journals Testing the accuracy of reflection-based supermassive black hole spin measurements in AGN

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A44 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. S. Kammoun ◽  
E. Nardini ◽  
G. Risaliti
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Relativistic Effects ◽  
High Signal ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Spin Parameter ◽  
Partial Covering ◽  
Spin Measurements

Context. X-ray reflection is a very powerful method to assess the spin of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGN), yet this technique is not universally accepted. Indeed, complex reprocessing (absorption, scattering) of the intrinsic spectra along the line of sight can mimic the relativistic effects on which the spin measure is based. Aims. In this work, we test the reliability of SMBH spin measurements that can currently be achieved through the simulations of high-quality XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra. Methods. Each member of our group simulated ten spectra with multiple components that are typically seen in AGN, such as warm and (partial-covering) neutral absorbers, relativistic and distant reflection, and thermal emission. The resulting spectra were blindly analysed by the other two members. Results. Out of the 60 fits, 42 turn out to be physically accurate when compared to the input model. The SMBH spin is retrieved with success in 31 cases, some of which (9) are even found among formally inaccurate fits (although with looser constraints). We show that, at the high signal-to-noise ratio assumed in our simulations, neither the complexity of the multi-layer, partial-covering absorber nor the input value of the spin are the major drivers of our results. The height of the X-ray source (in a lamp-post geometry) instead plays a crucial role in recovering the spin. In particular, a success rate of 16 out of 16 is found among the accurate fits for a dimensionless spin parameter larger than 0.8 and a lamp-post height lower than five gravitational radii.

Observations of TiO2 Surfaces Using Totally Reflected X-ray In-plane Diffraction Under UV Irradiation

2002 ◽  
Vol 751 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Horiuchi ◽  
H. Ochi ◽  
K. Kaisei ◽  
K. Ishida ◽  
K. Matsushige
Keyword(s):  
Uv Irradiation ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Plane Surface ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
High Surface ◽  
Ultra Violet ◽  
High Signal ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Catalytic Activities

ABSTRACTSurface lattice displacements of titanium dioxide (TiO2: rutile) during ultra-violet (UV) light irradiation have been investigated using a total reflection x-ray diffraction, which provides a high signal to noise ratio (S/N) and superior in-plane surface diffraction. Under the environments in vapors of H2O, CH3OH, C2H5OH and C3H6OH, the photo-catalytic activities of TiO2 (110), (100) and (001) surfaces subject to UV irradiation have been measured. It is found that the diffraction peaks and their full width half maxima (FWHMs) show some peculiarities with respect to the photo-catalytic activities in both surface lattices and adsorbed molecules in vapors. Furthermore, Kelvin force microscopy (KFM) has showed that there exists a very high surface potential, probably due to surface atom displacements induced by UV irradiation. With regard to the origin of the photo-catalytic activities, the induced surface potentials are discussed.

scholarly journals Evidence for Strong Gravity in the AGN Plasmas

1998 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 141-144
Author(s):  
K. Iwasawa
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Relativistic Effects ◽  
Iron Line ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Strong Gravity

X-ray spectroscopy of the broad iron line has revealed some relativistic effects caused by strong gravity about a black hole in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Recent results from ASCA observations of AGNs are reviewed.

scholarly journals Imaging in Hard X-ray Astronomy

2003 ◽  
Vol 214 ◽  
pp. 70-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. P. Li
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Signal ◽  
Wide Field ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Energy Processes

The energy range of hard X-rays is a key waveband to the study of high energy processes in celestial objects, but still remains poorly explored. In contrast to direct imaging methods used in the low energy X-ray and high energy gamma-ray bands, currently imaging in the hard X-ray band is mainly achieved through various modulation techniques. A new inversion technique, the direct demodulation method, has been developed since early 90s. with this technique, wide field and high resolution images can be derived from scanning data of a simple collimated detector. The feasibility of this technique has been confirmed by experiment, balloon-borne observation and analyzing simulated and real astronomical data. Based the development of methodology and instrumentation, a high energy astrophysics mission – Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) has been proposed and selected in China for a four-year Phase-A study. The main scientific objectives are a full-sky hard X-ray (20–200 keV) imaging survey and high signal-to-noise ratio timing studies of high energy sources.

scholarly journals Probing general relativistic effects during active galactic nuclei X-ray eclipses

2011 ◽  
Vol 417 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Risaliti ◽  
E. Nardini ◽  
M. Elvis ◽  
L. Brenneman ◽  
M. Salvati
Keyword(s):  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Relativistic Effects ◽  
X Ray ◽  
General Relativistic

scholarly journals Impact of lossy compression of X-ray projections onto reconstructed tomographic slices

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1326-1338
Author(s):  
Federica Marone ◽  
Jakob Vogel ◽  
Marco Stampanoni
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Lossy Compression ◽  
High Signal ◽  
Signal To Noise ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Data Archiving ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Compression Factor ◽  
Significant Burden ◽  
Noise Ratio

Modern detectors used at synchrotron tomographic microscopy beamlines typically have sensors with more than 4–5 mega-pixels and are capable of acquiring 100–1000 frames per second at full frame. As a consequence, a data rate of a few TB per day can easily be exceeded, reaching peaks of a few tens of TB per day for time-resolved tomographic experiments. This data needs to be post-processed, analysed, stored and possibly transferred, imposing a significant burden onto the IT infrastructure. Compression of tomographic data, as routinely done for diffraction experiments, is therefore highly desirable. This study considers a set of representative datasets and investigates the effect of lossy compression of the original X-ray projections onto the final tomographic reconstructions. It demonstrates that a compression factor of at least three to four times does not generally impact the reconstruction quality. Potentially, compression with this factor could therefore be used in a transparent way to the user community, for instance, prior to data archiving. Higher factors (six to eight times) can be achieved for tomographic volumes with a high signal-to-noise ratio as it is the case for phase-retrieved datasets. Although a relationship between the dataset signal-to-noise ratio and a safe compression factor exists, this is not simple and, even considering additional dataset characteristics such as image entropy and high-frequency content variation, the automatic optimization of the compression factor for each single dataset, beyond the conservative factor of three to four, is not straightforward.

scholarly journals The impact of disturbed galaxy clusters on the kinematics of active galactic nuclei

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (3) ◽  
pp. 3792-3805
Author(s):  
Lawrence E Bilton ◽  
Kevin A Pimbblet ◽  
Yjan A Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Galaxy Clusters ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Sloan Digital Sky Survey ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Cluster Galaxies ◽  
Sky Survey ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT We produce a kinematic analysis of AGN-hosting cluster galaxies from a sample of 33 galaxy clusters selected using the X-ray Clusters Database (BAX) and populated with galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. The 33 galaxy clusters are delimited by their relative intensity of member galaxy substructuring as a proxy to core merging to derive two smaller sub-samples of 8 dynamically active (merging) and 25 dynamically relaxed (non-merging) states. The AGN were selected for each cluster sub-sample by employing the WHAN diagram to the strict criteria of log10([N ii]/Hα) ≥ −0.32 and EWHα ≥ 6 Å, providing pools of 70 mergings and 225 non-merging AGN sub-populations. By co-adding the clusters to their respective dynamical states to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of our AGN sub-populations we find that merging galaxy clusters on average host kinematically active AGN between 0–1.5r200 as r200 → 0, where their velocity dispersion profile (VDP) presents a significant deviation from the non-AGN sub-population VDP by ≳3σ. This result is indicative that the AGN-hosting cluster galaxies have recently coalesced on to a common potential. Further analysis of the composite distributions illustrates non-merging AGN-hosting sub-populations have, on average, already been accreted and predominantly lie within backsplash regions of the projected phase-space. This suggests merging cluster dynamical states hold relatively younger AGN sub-populations kinematically compared with those found in non-merging cluster dynamical states.

A Spherically Bent Crystal X-Ray Specteometer with Variable Curvature

1973 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 521-530
Author(s):  
Donald L. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
High Signal ◽  
X Rays ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Bent Crystal ◽  
Variable Curvature ◽  
The Face ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
And Performance

AbstractThe design and performance of a spherically bent crystal x-ray spectrometer with variable curvature are given. A thin crystal with the diffracting planes parallel to the face is mounted on a vacuum chuck consisting of an O-ring in a brass mounting. A controlled partial vacuum is applied behind the crystal to cause spherical deformation of the lattice. Thus, rays from a point source on the focusing circle are diffracted to a line image also on the focusing circle. The differential pressure is automatically varied such that the source-to-crystal and crystal-to-image distances are equal and constant for all Bragg angles and hence the simple θ-2θ motion of a one flat crystal spectrometer is used.The data are accumulated by a scanning proportional counter tube placed behind a vertical slit (perpendicular to the scattering plane) located at the image line. The fixed chord length is 22 cm and the instrument is designed to scan from zero up to 120° 2θ. Crystals are easily interchanged and the automatic vacuum regulator has sufficient flexibility to allow tailoring the spherical bending to crystals of materials of various thicknesses. The resolution is easily adjusted by either the size of the x-ray source or the width of the detector slit. The performance of the spectrometer has been evaluated by characteristic x-rays produced by various samples placed in a demountable x-ray tube. The main advantages of this three-dimensional focusing instrument are the very high signal-to-noise ratio and the very low levels of x-ray flux required.

scholarly journals Active Galactic Nuclei: Variability at Many Wavelengths

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 808-811
Author(s):  
Thierry J.-L. Courvoisier
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Active Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Gravitational Energy ◽  
Heating Process ◽  
Massive Black Hole ◽  
Ultraviolet Emission ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Accretion Process

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are thought to be powered by accretion onto a massive black hole. Understanding how gravitational energy freed by the infall of matter into the black hole is transferred to the radiating regions of the nucleus is one of the main challenges of AGN research. The question is made very complex by the presence of several cooling mechanisms with very diverse physical properties: We observe synchrotron radiation, thermal emission from hot dust, possibly thermal optical and ultraviolet emission and Comptonization processes in the X-ray domain. For each component the radiation is a signature of the cooling process rather than of the heating process. It is our hope that by observing the links and correlations between the emission of the different components we will be able to understand how they are interrelated and how they get their energy supply from the accretion process.

scholarly journals The soft X-ray landscape of gamma-ray bursts: thermal components

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S279) ◽  
pp. 175-182
Author(s):  
Rhaana Starling ◽  
Kim Page ◽  
Martin Sparre
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Thermal Emission ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Continuum Emission ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
New Discovery ◽  
The Continuum

AbstractThe repository of GRB (gamma-ray burst) observations made by the Swift X-ray Telescope, now consisting of over 650 bursts, is a valuable and unique resource for the study of GRB X-ray emission. The observed soft X-ray spectrum typically arises from an underlying power law continuum, absorbed by gas along the line-of-sight. However, particularly at early times in a burst's evolution the continuum emission is not always understood and may comprise multiple components including thermal emission unexpected in the standard model. A thermal X-ray component has been discovered in two very unusual GRBs, perhaps suggesting an association only with this subset of events. However, evidence exists for thermal emission from more typical examples and here we present a new discovery of one such case and describe a systematic search for thermal components among all early GRB X-ray spectra.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document