scholarly journals Optical Emission Lines and the X-Ray Properties of Type 1 Seyfert Galaxies

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 442-447
Author(s):  
G. La Mura ◽  
S. Ciroi ◽  
V. Cracco ◽  
D. Ilić ◽  
L. Č. Popović ◽  
...  

Abstract In this contribution we report on the study of the optical emission lines and X-ray spectra of a sample of Type 1 AGNs, collected from the SDSS database and observed by the XMM-Newton satellite. Using different instruments onboard XMM, we identify the spectral components of the soft and hard energy bands (in the range from 0.3 keV to 10 keV). The properties of the X-ray continuum and of the Fe Kα line feature are related to the optical broad emission line profiles and intensity ratios. The resulting picture of emission, absorption and reflection processes is interpreted by means of a structural model of the broad line region, developed on the basis of independent optical and radio observations.

2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1382-1388 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. La Mura ◽  
M. Berton ◽  
S. Ciroi ◽  
V. Cracco ◽  
F. Di Mille ◽  
...  

The currently identified classes of compact extragalactic X-ray sources comprise type 1 Seyfert galaxies, galaxies with active nuclei and relatively sharp emission lines, BL Lac objects and quasars. The known members of these categories are listed. In this paper, the properties of the first two classes are reviewed and discussed, with particular emphasis on their radio and optical properties and the relation between the various nuclear components. Electromagnetic spectra from radio to X-rays are presented for those galaxies detected in more than two wavebands. Optical observations of type 1 Seyferts indicate a wide range of scales for the emitting material. The continuum source and the broad wings on the Balmer lines probably originate in a region less than about 0.1 pc in extent, while the forbidden line region may occupy several hundred parsecs. From the point of view of their radio properties, galaxies with Seyfert or Seyfert-like spectra may be divided into four general categories, namely: (1) powerful (more than 10 25 W Hz -1 sr -1 at 1.4 GHz), very extended, double radio sources with steep spectra; (2) powerful (more than 10 24 W Hz -1 sr -1 at 1.4 GHz) compact radio sources with flat or inverted spectra, the radio emission originating from a small region in the nucleus; (3) weaker (10 20 -10 23 W Hz -1 sr -1 at 1.4 GHz) emission from the nucleus, usually with a steep non-thermal radio spectrum and occasionally an extended ( ca . 50 kpc) radio halo; and (4) no detected radio emission. The distinction between (3) and (4) is probably only a matter of observational selection and almost all Seyferts fall into these last two categories. When spatially resolved, the radio emitting region of category (3) galaxies usually has an approximately similar scale to the forbidden line region. The radio power is correlated with Seyfert type and forbidden line power, which may be interpreted in terms of a pressure balance between the filaments of thermal gas radiating the forbidden lines and the relativistic gas emitting the non-thermal radio radiation. The radio power is, however, uncorrelated with the thermal pressure, suggesting that the differences in radio and forbidden line power from galaxy to galaxy are dominated by variations in overall size or filling factor. Recent discussions of the infrared radiation have proposed a non thermal origin in type 1 Seyferts but a thermal mechanism in type 2 Seyferts. The infrared and radio powers seem to be correlated in both types. The X-rays originate in a region not more than 10 -2 pc in extent, and possibly much smaller. Type 1 Seyferts are intrinsically more powerful X-ray sources than type 2 Seyferts. The X-ray power appears to be correlated with the optical and infrared continuum luminosities and possibly with the Balmer line width. Studies of highly ionized species in the optical emission line spectrum are described with a view to their possible relation to the X-rays. Both [Fe x] λ 6374 Å and [Fe xi] λ 7892 Å are blue-shifted with respect to lines of lower ionization species by an amount ranging up to 300km s -1 . At least in NGC 3783, the line width is correlated with the ionization potential necessary to create the species in the sense that the higher the ionization, the greater the line width. This result fits into the scheme of a systematic decrease in density ( N e > 10 8 -10 3 cm -3 ) and decrease in velocity dispersion(< v > = 10 4 -3 x 10 2 km s -1 ) with increasing distance from the central object ( r ≾ 0.1-5 x 10 2 pc). It is proposed that the highly ionized species occur in a region of intermediate velocity spread (<v> ≈ 1.5 x 10 3 km s -1 ) and distance ( r ≈ 2 pc). X-ray emitting galaxies with active nuclei but relatively sharp emission lines have X-ray luminosities in the range 10 41 -10 43 ergs -1 (1 erg s -1 = 10 -7 W), weaker than type 1 Seyferts (10 43 -10 45 ergs -1 ) but stronger than relatively normal galaxies ( ca .10 39 ergs -1 ). Lines from species of both high and low ionization are found in the optical spectra, implying ionization by a non-thermal continuum or by hot stars. These galaxies have very strong infrared excesses and are often detected as radio sources. They contain appreciable quantities of dust and, presumably, neutral gas and are either a member of an interacting pair or lie in a small group. Possibly the gas has been accreted from the neighbour(s), triggering the X-ray activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (S359) ◽  
pp. 454-456
Author(s):  
T. V. Ricci ◽  
J. E. Steiner ◽  
R. B. Menezes

AbstractIn this work, we present preliminary results regarding the nuclear emission lines of a statistically complete sample of 56 early-type galaxies that are part of the Deep Integral Field Spectroscopy View of Nuclei of Galaxies (DIVING3D) Project. All early type galaxies (ETGs) were observed with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph Integral Field Unit (GMOS-IFU) installed on the Gemini South Telescope. We detected emission lines in 93% of the sample, mostly low-ionization nuclear emission-line region galaxies (LINERs). We did not find Transition Objects nor H II regions in the sample. Type 1 objects are seen in ∼23% of the galaxies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S356) ◽  
pp. 96-96
Author(s):  
Eleonora Sani

AbstractI present a detailed study of ionized outflows in a large sample of 650 hard X-ray detected AGN. Taking advantage of the legacy value of the BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS, DR1), we are able to reveal the faintest wings of the [OIII] emission lines associated with outflows. The sample allows us to derive the incidence of outflows covering a wide range of AGN bolometric luminosity and test how the outflow parameters are related with various AGN power tracers, such as black hole mass, Eddington ratio, luminosity. I’ll show how ionized outflows are more frequently found in type 1.9 and type 1 AGN (50% and 40%) with respect to the low fraction in type 2 AGN (20%). Within such a framework, I’ll demonstrate how type 2 AGN outflows are almost evenly balanced between blue- and red-shifted winds. This, in strong contrast with type 1 and type 1.9 AGN outflows which are almost exclusively blue-shifted. Finally, I’ll prove how the outflow occurrence is driven by the accretion rate, whereas the dependence of outflow properties with respect to the other AGN power tracers happens to be quite mild.


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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (3) ◽  
pp. 4023-4030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihao Song ◽  
Junqiang Ge ◽  
Youjun Lu ◽  
Xiang Ji

ABSTRACT Optical periodicity QSOs found by transient surveys are suggested to be subparsec supermassive binary black holes (BBHs). An intriguing interpretation for the periodicity of some of those QSOs is that the continuum is radiated from the accretion disc associated with the BBH secondary component and modulated by the periodical rotation of the secondary via Doppler-boost effect. Close to edge-on orbital orientation can lead to more significant Doppler-boost effect and thus are preferred for these systems, which is distinct from those normal type-1 QSOs with more or less face-on orientations. Therefore, the profiles of broad lines emitted from these Doppler-modulated systems may be significantly different from other systems that are not Doppler modulated. We investigate the properties of the broad emission lines of optical-periodicity QSOs, including both a sample of QSOs that can be interpreted by the Doppler-modulated effects and a sample that cannot. We find that there is no obvious difference in the profiles and other properties of various (stacked) broad emission lines of these two samples, though a simple broad line region model would suggest significant differences. Our finding raises a challenge to the Doppler boost hypothesis for some of those BBHs candidates with optical periodicity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 619 ◽  
pp. A168 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Kollatschny ◽  
M. W. Ochmann ◽  
M. Zetzl ◽  
M. Haas ◽  
D. Chelouche ◽  
...  

Aims. A strong X-ray outburst was detected in HE 1136-2304 in 2014. Accompanying optical spectra revealed that the spectral type has changed from a nearly Seyfert 2 type (1.95), classified by spectra taken 10 and 20 years ago, to a Seyfert 1.5 in our most recent observations. We seek to investigate a detailed spectroscopic campaign on the spectroscopic properties and spectral variability behavior of this changing look AGN and compare this to other variable Seyfert galaxies. Methods. We carried out a detailed spectroscopic variability campaign of HE 1136-2304 with the 10 m Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) between 2014 December and 2015 July. Results. The broad-line region (BLR) of HE 1136-2304 is stratified with respect to the distance of the line-emitting regions. The integrated emission line intensities of Hα, Hβ, He I λ5876, and He II λ4686 originate at distances of 15.0−3.8+4.2, 7.5−5.7+4.6, 7.3−4.4+2.8, and 3.0−3.7+5.3 light days with respect to the optical continuum at 4570 Å. The variability amplitudes of the integrated emission lines are a function of distance to the ionizing continuum source as well. We derived a central black hole mass of 3.8 ± 3.1 × 107 M⊙ based on the linewidths and distances of the BLR. The outer line wings of all BLR lines respond much faster to continuum variations indicating a Keplerian disk component for the BLR. The response in the outer wings is about two light days shorter than the response of the adjacent continuum flux with respect to the ionizing continuum flux. The vertical BLR structure in HE 1136-2304 confirms a general trend that the emission lines of narrow line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) originate at larger distances from the midplane in comparison to AGNs showing broader emission lines. Otherwise, the variability behavior of this changing look AGN is similar to that of other AGN.


2019 ◽  
Vol 491 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Lira ◽  
R W Goosmann ◽  
M Kishimoto ◽  
R Cartier

ABSTRACT Using the stokes Monte Carlo radiative transfer code, we revisit the predictions of the spectropolarimetric signal from a disc-like broad emission line region (BLR) in type I active galactic nuclei due to equatorial scattering. We reproduce the findings of previous works, but only for a scatterer that is much more optically and geometrically thick than previously proposed. We also find that when taking into account the polarized emission from all regions of the scatterer, the swing of the polarization position angle (PA) is in the opposite direction to that originally proposed. Furthermore, we find that the presence of outflows in the scattering media can significantly change the observed line profiles, with the PA of the scattering signal being enhanced in the presence of radially outflowing winds. Finally, a characteristically different PA profile, shaped like an ‘M’, is seen when the scatterer is co-spatial with the BLR and radially outflowing.


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