This paper reports on an XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 335 performed as a Target of Opportunity when the source was in an unusually low flux state. The low level of continuum emission unveiled an underlying line-rich soft X-ray spectrum, which can be studied with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer. The emission features have been analysed at high resolution with unprecedented detail for this source. Line ratios diagnostic from H-like and He-like ions indicates that the line emission arises in X-ray photoionised plasma. Extensive simulations have been performed with the CLOUDY photoionisation code. From the comparison of the expected and observed line intensities the physical properties of the line emitting material were derived. Because of the degeneracy in the ionisation parameter, a number of different solutions in terms of electron density and column density of the gas are consistent with the spectral diagnostics. This prevents us from determining uniquely the properties of the plasma; however, the location(s) of the X-ray photoionised gas can be constrained to be within 0.06 pc (outer boundary). This limit places the X-ray line emitting gas at the inner edge of the material where the broad optical lines are produced (Broad Line Region).
We present the results of the UBVRcIc surface brightness profiles decomposition of the Seyfert galaxies III Zw 2, Mrk 506 and Mrk 509. The profiles were modelled as a sum of a Gaussian, a Sersic law and an exponent. A Ferrers bar and a Gaussian ring were added to the model profiles of III Zw 2 and Mrk 506, respectively. The parameters and the total magnitudes of the structural components were derived.
We present preliminary results of the Johnson-Cousins (U)BVRI surface brightness profile decompositions of the Seyfert galaxies Mrk 79 and NGC 5548. The profiles were modelled as a sum of a Gaussian law for the nucleus, a Sersic law for the bulge and an exponent law for the disk. A flat bar was added to the model profile of Mrk 79. The parameters and the total magnitudes of the structural components were derived.
We present UBVRcIc magnitudes of 49 comparison stars in the fields of the Seyfert galaxies Mrk 335, Mrk 79, Mrk 279, Mrk 506, 3C 382, 3C 390.3, NGC 6814, Mrk 304, Ark 564, and NGC 7469 in order to facilitate the photometric monitoring of these objects; 36 of the stars have not been calibrated before. The comparison stars are situated in 5x5 arcmin fields centred on the Seyfert galaxies, their V band flux ranges from 11.7 to 18.2 mag with a median value of 16.3 mag, and their B-V colour index ranges from 0.4 to 1.6 mag with a median value of 0.8 mag. The median errors of the calibrated UBVRcIc …
We present the light curves obtained during an eight-year program of optical spectroscopic monitoring of nine Seyfert 1 galaxies: 3C 120, Akn 120, Mrk 79, Mrk 110, Mrk 335, Mrk 509, Mrk 590, Mrk 704, and Mrk 817. All objects show significant variability in both the continuum and emission-line fluxes. We use cross-correlation analysis to derive the sizes of the broad Hbeta-emitting regions based on emission-line time delays, or lags. We successfully measure time delays for eight of the nine sources, and find values ranging from about two weeks to a little over two months. Combining the measured…
We discuss methods to compute significance levels for the existence of quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) which take the red-noise character of the X-ray lightcurves of these objects into account. Applying epoch folding and periodogram analysis to the XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 766, a possible QPO at a timescale of 4200s has been reported. Our computation of the significance of this QPO, however, shows that the 4200s peak is not significant at the 95% level. We conclude that the 4200s feature is an artifact of the red-noise process and not …
We present XMM-Newton observations of Mrk 359, the first Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy discovered. Even among NLS1s, Mrk 359 is an extreme case with extraordinarily narrow optical emission lines. The XMM-Newton data show that Mrk 359 has a significant soft X-ray excess which displays only weak absorption and emission features. The (2-10) keV continuum, including reflection, is flatter than the typical NLS1, with Gamma approximately 1.84. A strong emission line of equivalent width approximately 200 eV is also observed, centred near 6.4 keV. We fit this emission with two line components of approx…
A 100ks XMM-Newton observation of the nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3 offers a unique opportunity to explore the complexity of its X-ray spectrum. We find the \~3-8 keV continuum to be dominated by reflection from cold matter, with fluorescent K-shell lines detected from Ni, Fe, Ca, Ar, S, Si and Mg. At higher energies an intrinsic power law continuum, with canonical Seyfert 1 photon index, is seen through a near-Compton-thick cold absorber. A soft excess below \~3 keV is found to be dominated by line emission from an outflow of `warm' gas, photo-ionised and photo-excited by the intrinsically st…
We present spatial, temporal and spectral analyses of ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxies Ark 564, NGC 985, Kaz 163, Mrk 79 and RX J2256.6+0525. Ark 564 is a powerful narrow-line Seyfert 1 with strong Fe II emission. Several similar narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies have recently been found to have remarkably steep soft X-ray continua as well as rapid X-ray variability. We find that Ark 564 also has a very steep ($Γ> 3$) 0.1--2.5 keV spectrum and varies by $\sim 20$ per cent in 1500 s. We examine models for Ark 564 in light of both its X-ray…
We present 18-cm radio maps of four Seyfert nuclei, Mrk 1, Mrk 3, Mrk 231 and Mrk 463E, made with the European VLBI Network (EVN). Linear radio structures are present in three out of four sources on scales of ~100 pc to ~1 kpc, and the 20-mas beam of the EVN enables us to resolve details within the radio structures on scales of <10 pc. Mrk 3 was also imaged using MERLIN and the data combined with the EVN data to improve the sensitivity to extended emission. We find an unresolved flat-spectrum core in Mrk 3, which we identify with the hidden Seyfert 1 nucleus in this object, and we also see mar…
We report the discovery of hard X-ray delays in the X-ray emission of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 110, based on a long XMM-Newton observation. Cross correlation between the X-ray light curves of different energy bands reveals an energy dependent delay ranging from a few minutes to an hour. We find that the energy spectrum can be modeled by Comptonization of disk blackbody photons. The energy dependent delay can be modeled as due to the effect of Comptonization in a hot plasma confined within 10 Schwarzschild radius of the black hole. We discuss our results in the context of inverse Comptonization…
In this letter we present clear evidence that Mrk 573 is an obscured Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) and not an archetypal Seyfert 2, as it has been classified until now. Only three galaxies have been proposed as members of this class, prior to this work. Here we report near-infrared spectroscopic data taken with LIRIS on the 4.2 m William Herschel Telescope (WHT). Our high quality near-infrared nuclear spectrum in the 0.88-1.35 micron wavelength range shows the permitted O I 1.128,1.317 micron narrow lines, the Fe II 9200-Ålines and the Fe II 1-micron lines, together with a relatively broad com…
We report the discovery of the scattered emission from a hidden broad-line region (BLR) in a Seyfert 2 galaxy, Mrk 573, based on our recent spectropolarimetric observation performed at the Subaru Telescope. This object has been regarded as a type 2 AGN without a hidden BLR by the previous observations. However, our high quality spectrum of the polarized flux of Mrk 573 shows prominent broad (~3000 km/s) H_alpha emission, broad weak H_beta emission, and subtle Fe II multiplet emission. Our new detection of these indications for the presence of the hidden BLR in the nucleus of Mrk 573 is thought…
Mrk 705 exhibits optical properties of both narrow- and broad-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. We examine the X-ray properties of this borderline object utilising proprietary and public data from Chandra, ASCA, ROSAT and RXTE, spanning more than twelve years. Though long-term flux variability from the pointed observations appears rather modest (about 3 times), we do find examples of rare large amplitude outbursts in the RXTE monitoring data. There is very little evidence of long-term spectral variability as the low- and high-energy spectra appear constant with time. A 6.4 keV emission line is detected…
Integral field optical spectroscopy with the INTEGRAL fiber-based systemis used to map the extended ionized regions and gas flows in Mrk 273, one of the closest Ultraluminous Infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The Hbeta and [OIII]5007 maps show the presence of two distinct regions separated by 4'' (3.1 kpc) along position angle (PA) 240. The northeastern region coincides with the optical nucleus of the galaxy and shows the spectral characteristics of LINERs. The southwestern region is dominated by [OIII] emission and is classified as a Seyfert 2. Therefore, in the optical, Mrk 273 is an ultraluminous…
We report the discovery of the brightest X-ray source hosted by a faint (M_B=-16) dwarf galaxy in the immediate vicinity of the ultraluminous IRAS merging galaxy Mrk 273. The dwarf galaxy, 1.3 arcmin away from Mrk 273, is at the tip of a faint northeast plume of Mrk 273. Its spectrum exhibits strong [OIII], Halpha, [NII] emission lines, which establish the redshift of the dwarf galaxy, $z=0.0376$, the same as that of Mrk 273. The emission line ratios are typical of Seyfert galaxies. The X-ray emission is consistent with a point-like source coincident with the center of the dwarf galaxy. The in…
We present the results of UV imaging polarimetry of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 477 taken by the Faint Object Camera onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). From a previous HST UV image (lambda ~ 2180A), Mrk 477 has been known to have a pointlike bright UV hotspot in the central region, peculiar among nearby Seyfert 2 galaxies. There are also claims of UV/optical variability, unusual for a Seyfert 2 galaxy. Our data show that there is an off-nuclear scattering region ~ 0."6 (~ 500 pc) NE from the hotspot. The data, after the subtraction of the instrumental effect due to this bright hotspot regi…
Multi-epoch XMM-Newton spectra of the two Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1), Mrk 478 and EXO 1346.2+2645, are presented. The data were fitted with different models, including the relativistically-blurred reflection model reflionx, which was found to give a good description of both spectra in all epochs. The two sources are reflection dominated with the illuminating continuum hidden from view. This can be explained either in terms of a corrugated disc or strong gravitational light bending effects. The emission from these two sources comes from a very small region (few gravitational radii), very clos…
Multi-frequency observations of Mrk 348 are presented consisting of 2 epochs of MERLIN data at 5 GHz, ISOPHOT data at 170, 90, 60 and 25 micron, NOT images at U, B, R and I bands and data at 1350 micron from the archive for SCUBA. The new optical images reveal a disrupted arm that ends towards the eastern companion of Mrk 348, consistent with the hypothesis that Mrk 348 and its companion form an interacting system. 5 GHz MERLIN imaging shows that only one of the radio components of Mrk 348 is polarized (%P=5). The broadband spectrum of Mrk 348 is flat between the radio and millimetre bands, su…
We investigate the nature of the optical continuum and stellar population in the central kpc of the Seyfert 2s Mrk 348, Mrk 573, NGC 1358 and Mrk 1210 using long-slit spectra obtained along the radio or extended emission axis. These galaxies are known to have polarized continuum-including polarized broad lines in Mrk 348 and Mrk 1210--and previous studies indicate featureless continuum (FC) contributions in the 20-50% range at 5500 A. Nevertheless, our measurements of the equivalent widths of absorption lines and continuum ratios as a function of distance from the nuclei show no dilution of th…
We present Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT) observations of the HI 21 cm line and Very Large Array (VLA) observations of the OH 18 cm line from the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1. HI emission is detected from both Mrk 1 and its companion NGC 451. The HI emission morphology and the velocity field of Mrk 1 are disturbed. We speculate that the nuclear activities of Mrk 1 are triggered by tidal interactions. We have also detected two-component HI 21 cm line and the OH 18 cm line in absorption toward the nucleus of Mrk 1 at blueshifted velocities with respect to its systemic velocity indicating an ou…
We report the detection of the 3.3 mu Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) feature in two Seyfert 1 galaxies - NGC 3227 and Mrk 766, and one QSO - Mrk 478, observed with SpeX at IRTF at a spectral resolution not previously attained for this type of objects. Except for NGC 3227, this is the first time that the 3.3 mu PAH emission is detected in Mrk 766 and Mrk 478. The widths of the emission, reported also for the first time, are rather similar, ranging from 450 A to 550 A. The luminosity of the 3.3 mu PAH emission measured in the QSO Mrk 478 places it at a level similar of that found in starb…
We present the results of simultaneous XMM-Newton X-ray and 3.5m/CAHA optical spectroscopic observations of the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 993. This galaxy exhibited in the past significant variations of its broad emission lines which classified it as Sy1, Sy1.5 and Sy1.9 in different epochs. In order to test the X-ray/optical consistency of the unified AGN model we have compared the amount of photoelectric X-ray absorption with the Balmer decrement of broad emission line components. The optical data show that during our observations Mrk 993 was in a Sy1.8 state with a Balmer decrement of 9. The X-ray…
The Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1210 was found to exhibit a flat hard X-ray component by ASCA, although ASCA could not distinguish whether it is an absorbed direct component or a reflected one. We then observed Mrk 1210 with BeppoSAX, and found that the X-ray spectral properties are quite different from those of ASCA, as have been confirmed with XMM-Newton; the flux is significantly higher than that in the ASCA observation, and a clear absorption cut-off appears below 5 keV. A bright hard X-ray emission is detected up to 100 keV. The reflection component is necessary to describe the BeppoSAX PDS spec…
The analysis of hard X-ray features in XMM-Newton data of the bright Sy 1 galaxy Mrk 335 is reported here. The presence of a broad, ionised iron K alpha emission line in the spectrum, first found by Gondoin et al.(2002), is confirmed. The broad line can be modeled successfully by relativistic accretion disc reflection models. Regardless of the underlying continuum we report, for the first time in this source, the detection of a narrow absorption feature at the rest frame energy of ~5.9 keV. If the feature is identified with a resonance absorption line of iron in a highly ionised medium, the re…
We present {\it ASCA} observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxies Mrk~1040 and MS~0225.5+3121. Mrk~1040 was found to have decreased in flux by almost a factor of 4 since an {\it EXOSAT} observation 10\,years ago. The energy spectrum of Mrk~1040 displays complexity both at soft energies (below 0.8\thinspace keV) and at hard energies (6--7\thinspace keV). The latter is readily interpreted as fluorescent K$α$ emission from cold iron expected when the primary X-ray source illuminates cold optically-thick material. This line is both broad (with FWHM 16\,000--70\,000 km\,s$^{-1}$) and strong (equivalent …
We present the analysis of the XMM-Newton EPIC pn spectrum of the Seyfert 2 galaxy, Mrk3. We confirm that the source is dominated by a pure Compton reflection component and an iron K$α$ line, both produced as reflection from a Compton-thick torus, likely responsible also for the large column density which is pierced by the primary powerlaw only at high energies. A low inclination angle and an iron underabundance, suggested by the amount of reflection and the depth of the iron edge, are consistent with the iron K$α$ line EW with respect to the Compton reflection component. Moreover, the iron li…
Seyfert galaxies come in two main types (types 1 and 2) and the difference is probably due to obscuration of the nucleus by a torus of dense molecular material. The inner edge of the torus is expected to be ionized by optical and ultraviolet emission from the active nucleus, and will radiate direct thermal emission (e.g. NGC 1068) and will cause free-free absorption of nuclear radio components viewed through the torus (e.g. Mrk 231, Mrk 348, NGC 2639). However, the nuclear radio sources in Seyfert galaxies are weak compared to radio galaxies and quasars, demanding high sensitivity to study the…
We present results from spectral analysis of ASCA data on the NLS1 Mrk 507. This galaxy was found to have an exceptionally flat ROSAT spectrum among the NLS1s. The ASCA spectrum however shows a clear absorption feature in the energy band below 2 keV, which partly accounts for the flat spectrum observed with the ROSAT PSPC. The absorption is mainly due to cold gas with a column density of (2-3)E21 cm-2. A reanalysis of the PSPC data indicates that the absorber is slightly ionized, covers only part of the central source, or there is extra soft thermal emission from an extended region. There is a…
We present RXTE monitoring observations of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 348 spanning a 6 month period. The time-averaged spectrum in the 3-20 keV band shows many features characteristic of a Compton-thin Seyfert 2 galaxy, namely a hard underlying power-law continuum (photon index = 1.8) with heavy soft X-ray absorption (N_h ~ 10^23 cm^-2) plus measureable iron line emission (equivalent width ~ 100 eV) and, at high energy, evidence for a reflection component (R < 1). During the first half of the monitoring period the X-ray continuum flux from Mrk 348 remained relatively steady. However this was fol…
We report the discovery of strong soft X-ray emission lines and a hard continuum above 2 keV in the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 335 during an extremely low X-ray flux state. Mrk 335 was observed for 22 ks by XMM-Newton in July 2007 as a Target of Opportunity to examine it in its X-ray low-flux state, which was discovered with Swift. Long-term light curves suggest that this is the lowest flux state this AGN has ever been seen in. However, Mrk 335 is still sufficiently bright that its X-ray properties can be studied in detail. The X-ray continuum spectrum is very complex and requires severa…
We report the detection of a new H_2O megamaser in the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 348 with the MPIfR 100 m telescope in Effelsberg. With an apparent isotropic luminosity of L_H2O ~ 420 L_sun the maser is the third most luminous maser discovered so far. The detected line is unusually broad (Delta v ~ 130 km/s), is redshifted by ~130 km/s from the systemic velocity, and is asymmetric with a pronounced blue wing. While evidence for obscuring material towards the nucleus of this galaxy was found earlier, this detection is the first direct observation of molecular material in the vicinity of the AGN. We …
Mid-infrared images of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 279 obtained with the ISO satellite are presented together with the results of a one-year monitoring campaign of the 2.5-11.7 micron spectrum. Contemporaneous optical photometric and spectrophotometric observations are also presented. The galaxy appears as a point-like source at the resolution of the ISOCAM instrument, 4-5". The 2.5-11.7 micron average spectrum of the nucleus in Mrk 279 shows a strong power law continuum with a spectral index alpha = -0.80+/-0.05 and weak PAH emission features. The Mrk 279 spectral energy distribution shows a mid…
We report near-infrared spectroscopic data for the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 78, taken with the LIRIS near-infrared camera/spectrometer at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT). The long-slit spectra clearly show extended emission. The resolution and depth of the near-infrared spectra allows the examination of its morphology and ionization regions, and a direct comparison with similarly deep visible spectra. The emission-line ratios obtained are used to derive the extinction towards the nucleus. The detection of strong features such as [Fe II], H$_{2}$, hydrogen recombination lines and the coronal […
We obtained a wide-band spectrum of the Compton-thick Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3 with Suzaku. The observed spectrum was clearly resolved into weak, soft power-law emission, a heavily absorbed power-law component, cold reflection, and many emission lines. The heavily absorbed component, absorbed by gas with a column density of 1.1x10^24 cm^-2, has an intrinsic 2--10 keV luminosity of ~1.6x10^43 erg s^-1, and is considered to be direct emission from the Mrk 3 nucleus. The reflection component was interpreted as reflection of the direct light off cold, thick material; the reflection fraction $R$ was …
We present near-infrared J and H surface photometry of 24 of the nearby Seyfert 1.8, 1.9 and 2 galaxies from the CfA Seyfert sample. The excellent angular resolution of HST probes spatial scales as small as tens of parsecs in most of these AGN and is sensitive to the presence of nuclear bars and other potential signatures of the AGN fueling process that channels host galaxy gas and dust to the nuclear region. We have used elliptical isophote techniques to search for nuclear bars in all of these galaxies and have employed a two-dimensional fitting technique to model the nuclear point source and…
We present UV imaging polarimetry data of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3 taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The polarized flux is found to be extended to ~1 kpc from the nucleus, and the position angles of polarization are centrosymmetric, confirming that the polarization is caused by scattering. We determine the location of the hidden nucleus as the center of this centrosymmetric pattern. From the polarization images taken in two broad bands, we have obtained the color distribution of the polarized flux. Some regions have blue polarized flux, consistent with optically-thin dust scattering, but …
We present an optical spectrum for Mrk 273x, the X-ray source 1.3' to the northeast of Mrk 273. The new spectrum indicates that the object is at a much higher redshift (0.458) than the value (0.0376) previously reported. All the detected emission lines show properties of Seyfert 2 galaxies. Mrk 273x has one of the highest X-ray and radio luminosities L_x ~ 1.1 x 10^{44} erg/s, L_{1.37 GHz} ~ 2.0 x 10^{40} erg/s among Seyfert 2 galaxies, yet it has a low neutral hydrogen column density, N_H ~ 4.4 x 10^{20}/cm^2. These properties seem difficult to explain in the unified scheme of active galactic…
We present new important results about the intermediate-type Seyfert galaxy Mrk 315, recently observed through optical imaging and integral-field spectroscopy. Broad-band images were used to study the morphology of the host galaxy, narrow-band H-alpha images to trace the star forming regions, and middle-band [O III] images to evidence the distribution of the highly ionised gas. Some extended emission regions were isolated and their physical properties studied by means of flux calibrated spectra. High resolution spectroscopy was used to separate different kinematic components in the velocity fi…
We present far-ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509 obtained in 1999 November with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). Our data span the observed wavelength range 915-1185 A at a resolution of ~20 km/s. The spectrum shows a blue continuum, broad OVI 1032,1038 emission, and a broad CIII 977 emission line. Superposed on these emission components, we resolve associated absorption lines of OVI 1032,1038, CIII 977, and Lyman lines through Lzeta. Seven distinct kinematic components are present, spanning a velocity range of -440 to +170 km/s relative to the systemic velo…
We have analyzed the timing properties of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 766 observed with XMM-Newton during the PV phase. The source intensity changes by a factor of 1.3 over the 29,000 second observation. If the soft excess is modeled by a black body component, as indicated by the EPIC pn data, the luminosity of the black body component scales with its temperature according to L ~ T^4. This requires a lower limit 'black body size` of about 1.3*10^25 cm^2. In addition, we report the detection of a strong periodic signal with 2.4*10^-4 Hz. Simulations of light curves with the observed ti…
We present measurements of radial velocities for the narrow-line region gas (NLR) in the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3 out to ~1 kpc from the nucleus. The observations consist of two datasets, both using the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope: 1) An [O III] slitless spectrum with the G430M grating of the inner 3" around the nucleus, and 2) a long-slit observation centered on the nucleus (PA = 71 deg) using the G430L grating and the 52" x 0".1 aperture. Our results produce radial velocity maps of the emission-line gas. These maps indicate general trends in the gas…
We analyze the 0.5-10 keV spectra of six Seyfert 2 galaxies observed with the X-ray satellite ASCA: Mrk 3, Mrk 348, Mrk 1210, Mrk 477, NGC 7212, and Was 49b. These galaxies were selected based on their possession of optical polarized broad lines. In the 2-10 keV band, their spectra are heavily absorbed, with 2-10 keV absorption-corrected X-ray luminosities ranging from 10^{42} to 10^{43} erg/s. The observed X-ray emission is generally only about one tenth that predicted based on their known infrared and H_beta luminosities. This apparent X-ray weakness can be understood if a considerable fract…
Competing models for broad spectral features in the soft X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert I galaxy Mrk766 are tested against data from a 130 ks XMM-Newton observation. A model including relativistically broadened Ly-alpha emission lines of OVIII, NVII and CVI is a better fit to 0.3-2 keV XMM RGS data than a dusty warm absorber. Moreover, the measured depth of neutral iron absorption lines in the spectrum is inconsistent with the magnitude of the iron edge required to produce the continuum break at 17-18Angstroms in the dusty warm absorber model. The relativistic emission line model can reproduce …
We have calculated the equivalent widths of the absorption lines produced by Fe XXV and Fe XXVI in a Compton-thin, low-velocity photoionised material illuminated by the nuclear continuum in AGN. The results, plotted against the ionisation parameter and the column density of the gas, are a complement to those presented by Bianchi & Matt 2002 for the emission lines from the same ionic species. As an extension to the work by Bianchi & Matt 2002, we also present a qualitative discussion on the different contributions to the He-like iron emission line complex in the regimes where recombination or r…
We investigate the origin of the soft X-ray excess emission from narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies Akn564 and Mrk1044 using XMM-Newton observations. We find clear evidence for time delays between the soft and hard X-ray emission from Akn564 based on a 100ks long observation. The variations in the 4-10keV band lag behind that in the 0.2-0.5keV band by 1768+/-122s. The full band power density spectrum (PDS) of Akn~564 has a break at ~1.2e-3Hz with power-law indices of ~1 and ~3 below and above the break. The hard (3-10keV) band PDS is stronger and flatter than that in the soft (0.2-0.5keV) band. Ba…
We discuss the importance of X-ray scattering and Compton reflection in type-2 Seyfert galaxies, based upon the analysis of ASCA observations of 25 such sources. Consideration of the iron Kalpha, [O III] line and X-ray variability suggest that NGC 1068, NGC 4945, NGC 2992, Mrk 3, Mrk 463E and Mrk 273 are dominated by reprocessed X-rays. We examine the properties of these sources in more detail. We find that the iron Kalpha complex contains significant contributions from neutral and high-ionization species of iron. Compton reflection, hot gas and starburst emission all appear to make significan…
High resolution MERLIN 5 GHz observations (0.04") of 7 Seyfert galaxies, selected as the ones previously showing evidence of collimated ejection, have been compared with high resolution archive HST data. The radio maps reveal rich structures in all the galaxies. NGC 2639 and TXFS 2226-184 have multiple knot parsec-scale extended structures, Mrk 1034, Mrk 1210, NGC 4922C and NGC 5506 reveal one-sided jets, while IC 1481 exhibits a jet-like extension. The close correlation between the radio-emitting relativistic plasma and the ionized gas in the inner regions of these galaxies allows us to study…
We present soft X-ray results from observations with the Chandra HETGS of the Seyfert I AGN NGC 4593 and Mrk 509. We discuss the photoionized outflows associated with Seyfert I AGN in terms of their absorption spectral signatures and discuss their kinematics, column density and ionization state. We discuss the link between UV and X-ray absorbers in Mrk 509 (which was simultaneously observed with Chandra and HST/STIS. We also briefly discuss the possibility of absorption due to neutral Fe embedded in the warm absorber of NGC 4593 versus an interpretation of the data in terms soft X-ray relativi…
We have carried out an extensive radio study with the Very Large Array on the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy Mrk 6 and imaged a spectacular radio structure in the source. The radio emission occurs on three different spatial scales, from ~7.5 kpc bubbles to ~1.5 kpc bubbles lying nearly orthogonal to them and a ~1 kpc radio jet lying orthogonal to the kpc-scale bubble. To explain the complex morphology, we first consider a scenario in which the radio structures are the result of superwinds ejected by a nuclear starburst. However, recent Spitzer observations of Mrk 6 provide an upper limit to the star forma…
We present far-ultraviolet spectra of the Seyfert2 galaxy Mrk533 obtained with FUSE. These spectra show narrow asymmetrical OVI 1032,1038 emission lines with stronger wings shortward of the peak wavelength, but the degree of asymmetry of these wings in velocity is much lower than that of the wings of the lines of lower ionization. In the combined OVI profile there are marginal indications of local absorptions in the outflow. The CIII 977 line is seen weakly with a similar profile, but with very low signal to noise. These FUV spectra are among the first for a Seyfert of type2, i.e., a purported…
This paper reports on a partially simultaneous observation of the bright Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk590, performed by XMM-Newton and Chandra. The long exposure (~100 ks) allows to investigate with great detail the Fe K complex at 6-7 keV and the presence of soft X-ray spectral features. We have analysed XMM-Newton data from the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) in the 0.5-12 keV band and from the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) in the 0.35-2.5 keV band, and data from the High Energy Transmission Gratings (HETGs) onboard Chandra. UV and optical data from the Optical Monitor (OM) onboard XMM-…
We report on the first XMM-Newton observation of the bright Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 110. We find a narrow Fe K fluorescent line, a broad component FWHM ~ 16500 km/s of the OVII triplet, either due to infall motions or gravitational redshift effects in the vicinity of the central black hole, a Comptonized accretion disc layer, and a strong starburst component. If the broad redshifted soft X-ray components are due to gravitational redshift effects, the distance of the line emitting regions ranges between about 0.2 and 1 light day with respect to the central black hole.
We present HST/WFPC2 images, in narrow-band filters containing the [OIII] lambda5007 and Halpha+[NII] emission-lines and their adjacent continua, of a sample of seven Seyfert 2 galaxies selected on the basis of possessing either extended emission-line regions in ground-based observations or a hidden broad-line region in polarized light. Six of the galaxies have also been observed with the VLA to obtain radio maps with better quality and angular resolution than those in the literature. We find detailed correspondences between features in the radio and emission-line images that clearly indicate …
The Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 766 has been observed by BeppoSAX on May 1997. The source was fairly variable, both in flux and spectrum, during the observation. The variability is the largest around 2 keV, possibly due to variations in the warm absorber properties. An oxygen line is clearly detected, at least in the first part of the observation. An edge around 7.5 keV, coupled with the lack of any detectable iron line, suggests either reprocessing of the primary X-rays by a mildly ionized disc or absorption by a further, thicker and more ionized material.
We comment on recent spectropolarimetric studies that compare the observed polarization position angles (PAs) of Seyfert 1 galaxies near H alpha with the observed orientations of their radio source axes on the sky. For a Seyfert galaxy in which scattering occurs mainly in an equatorial scattering region, one expects the polarization PA to be parallel to the radio axis, while in a case in which light scatters predominantly in the polar regions, the H alpha polarization PA should be perpendicular to the radio axis. In practice, these correlations are difficult to establish because a Galactic int…
We have used non-simultaneous Ginga, ASCA and ROSAT observations to investigate the complex X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 3. We find that the composite spectrum can be well described in terms of a heavily cut-off hard X-ray continuum, iron K_alpha emission and a soft X-ray excess, with spectral variability confined to changes in the continuum normalisation and the flux in the iron line. Previous studies have suggested that the power-law continuum in Mrk 3 is unusually hard. We obtain a canonical value for the energy index of the continuum (i.e. alpha approx 0.7) when a warm absorb…
Previous observations of the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy 1H 0419-577 have found its X-ray spectrum to range from that of a typical Seyfert 1 with 2-10 keV power law index Gamma ~ 1.9 to a much flatter power law of Gamma ~ 1.5 or less. We report here a new XMM-Newton observation which allows the low state spectrum to be studied in much greater detail than hitherto. We find a very hard spectrum (Gamma ~ 1.0), which exhibits broad features that can be modelled with the addition of an extreme relativistic Fe K emission line or with partial covering of the underlying continuum by a substantial column…
We present and discuss BeppoSAX observations of Mrk841 and Mrk335, two Seyfert 1 galaxies in which previous observations have established the presence of soft excesses. We confirm the soft excess in both sources, even if for Mrk~841 a warm absorber provides a fit almost as good as the one with a true excess. As far as the hard X-ray continuum is concerned, a Comptonization model provides a fit as good as a power law and a physically sound solution for Mrk841. For Mrk335, the Comptonization model gives a result which is somewhat better on statistical ground, but rather problematic on physical g…
We present Bepposax observations of the starburst/Seyfert composite galaxy Mrk609. This enigmatic object has an optical spectrum dominated by the features of starburst galaxies, yet its X-ray luminosity (6.3$\times10^{42}$\lunits) is typical of an AGN. The X-ray spectrum of Mrk609 can be parameterised by a single power-law model with a photon index $Γ\sim1.6\pm0.1$ and no evidence for significant absorption above the Galactic value. Long term variability in both the 0.1-2 keV and 2-10 keV energy bands is detected, again suggesting that the X-ray emission is dominated by an AGN. The observed br…
We present first results of near infrared J and H+K ESO-SINFONI integral field spectroscopy of the composite starburst/Seyfert 1.8 galaxy Mrk 609. The data were taken during the science verification period of SINFONI. We aim to investigate the morphology and excitation conditions within the central 2 kpc. Additional Nobeyama 45 m CO(1-0) data are presented, which we used to estimate the molecular gas mass. The source was selected from a sample of adaptive optics suitable, SDSS/ROSAT based, X-ray bright AGN with redshifts of 0.03 < z < 1. This sample allows for a detailed study of the NIR prope…
