Determining the covering factor of Compton-thick active galactic nuclei with NuSTAR
M. Brightman, M. Balokovic, D. Stern, P. Arevalo, D. R. Ballantyne, F. E. Bauer, S. E. Boggs, W. W. Craig, F. E. Christensen, A. Comastri, F. Fuerst, P. Gandhi,… 展开作者
M. Brightman, M. Balokovic, D. Stern, P. Arevalo, D. R. Ballantyne, F. E. Bauer, S. E. Boggs, W. W. Craig, F. E. Christensen, A. Comastri, F. Fuerst, P. Gandhi, C. J. Hailey, F. A. Harrison, R. C. Hickox, M. Koss, S. LaMassa, S. Puccetti, E. Rivers, R. Vasudevan, D. J. Walton, W. W. Zhang
与活动星系核（AGN）环面相关的康普顿厚遮蔽物质的覆盖因子目前最好通过X射线波段中沿视线（$N_{H}>1.5\times10^{24}$ cm $^{-2}$）显示康普顿厚吸收的源的分数来理解，它揭示了平均覆盖因子。然而，由于极端的遮蔽，确定这种康普顿厚度的部分是困难的。由于其光谱覆盖在硬X射线（$>$ 10 keV），NuSTAR对AGN覆盖因子敏感，因为X射线的康普顿散射在这些能量下占主导地位。本文对NuSTAR观测到的10个活动星系核进行了光谱分析，这些活动星系核的遮蔽介质对于康普顿散射来说是光学厚度的，称为康普顿厚度（CT）活动星系核。我们使用Brightman和Nandra的环面模型，该模型预测了环面中再处理的X射线光谱，并将环面张角作为自由参数，旨在分别确定这些源中康普顿厚气体的覆盖因子。在整个样品中，我们发现了从轻度到重度的康普顿厚度柱，$N_{H}$从$10^{24}-10^{26}$ cm $^{-2}$开始测量，覆盖因子范围很广，单个测量值范围为0.2-0.9。我们发现，覆盖因子，$f_{c}$，是一个强烈的内在2-10 keV的光度，$L_{X}$，其中$f_{c}=(-0.41\pm0.13)$日志$_{10}$（$L_{X}$ /erg s $^{-1}$）$+18.31\pm5.33$，在$L_{X}$（10 $^{41.5}-10^{44}$ erg s $^{-1}$）超过两个数量级的递减函数。这里测量的覆盖因子与用$L_{X}>10^{42.5}$ erg s $^{-1}$研究局部活动星系核所确定的作为$L_{X}$函数的遮蔽分数吻合得很好。
英文摘要：
The covering factor of Compton-thick obscuring material associated with the torus in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is at present best understood through the fraction of sources exhibiting Compton-thick absorption along the line of sight ($N_{H}>1.5\times10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$) in the X-ray band, which reveals the average covering factor. Determining this Compton-thick fraction is difficult however, due to the extreme obscuration. With its spectral coverage at hard X-rays ($>$10 keV), NuSTAR is sensitive to the AGN covering factor since Compton scattering of X-rays off optically thick material dominates at these energies. We present a spectral analysis of 10 AGN observed with NuSTAR where the obscuring medium is optically thick to Compton scattering, so called Compton-thick (CT) AGN. We use the torus models of Brightman & Nandra which predict the X-ray spectrum from reprocessing in a torus and include the torus opening angle as a free parameter and aim to determine the covering factor of the Compton-thick gas in these sources individually. Across the sample we find mild to heavy Compton-thick columns, with $N_{H}$ measured from $10^{24}-10^{26}$ cm$^{-2}$, and a wide range of covering factors, where individual measurements range from 0.2-0.9. We find that the covering factor, $f_{c}$, is a strongly decreasing function of the intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity, $L_{X}$, where $f_{c}=(-0.41\pm0.13)$log$_{10}$($L_{X}$/erg s$^{-1}$)$+18.31\pm5.33$, across more than two orders of magnitude in $L_{X}$ (10$^{41.5}-10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$). The covering factors measured here agree well with the obscured fraction as a function of $L_{X}$ as determined by studies of local AGN with $L_{X}>10^{42.5}$ erg s$^{-1}$.
We present the 2--78 keV spectral analysis of the deep NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observation of a nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy, ESO 116-G018, which is selected as a candidate Compton-thick (CT-) active galactic nucleus (AGN) based on a previous Chandra-Swift/BAT study. Through our analysis, the source is for the first time confirmed to be a CT-AGN at a $>$3 $σ$ confidence level, with the 'line-of-sight' column density N$_{\rm H,Z}$ = [2.46-2.76] $\times$ $10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. The 'global average' column density of the obscuring torus is N$_{\rm H,S}$ = [0.46-0.62] $\times$ $10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$, which sug…
We present the combined NuSTATR and XMM-Newton 0.6-79 keV spectral analysis of a Seyfert 2 galaxy, NGC 1358, which we selected as a candidate Compton thick (CT-) active galactic nucleus (AGN) on the basis of previous Swift/BAT and Chandra studies. According to our analysis, NGC 1358 is confirmed to be a CT-AGN using physical motivated models, at >3 $σ$ confidence level. Our best-fit shows that the column density along the 'line-of-sight' of the obscuring material surrounding the accreting super-massive black hole is N$\rm _H$ = [1.96--2.80] $\times$ 10$^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. The high-quality data f…
我们分析了2013年拍摄的Seyfert 2星系NGC 4388的3-79 keV能带的NuSTAR X射线观测结果。NuSTAR的宽带灵敏度覆盖了Fe K $α$线和康普顿反射峰，能够对活动星系核X射线谱中的反射特征进行严格的约束，从而提供对环核物质几何结构的深入了解。在这次观测中，我们发现NGC 4388的X射线光谱可以很好地用非相对论反射的适度吸收幂律来描述。我们拟合光谱与现象学反射模型和物理环面模型，并找到源被吸收的康普顿薄材料（N $_{H} = (6.5\pm0.8)\times10^{23}$ cm $^{-2}$）具有非常弱的康普顿反射峰（R $<$ 0.09）和异常大的Fe K $α$线（EW $= 368^{+56}_{-53}$ eV）的源具有弱反射或无反射。使用薄壳近似的预期Fe K $α$ EW的计算表明，一个Fe K $α$线起源于康普顿薄材料提出了一个可能的解释。
We present the joint NuSTAR and XMM-Newton spectral analysis in the 0.6-70 keV band of three candidate Compton thick (CT-) AGN selected in the 100-month Swift-BAT catalog. These objects were previously classified as CT-AGNs based on low quality Swift-XRT and Swift-BAT data, and had soft photon indices (Gamma>2.2) that suggested a potential overestimation of the line of sight column density. Thanks to the high-quality NuSTAR and XMM-Newton data we were able to determine that in all three objects the photon index was significantly overestimated, and two out of three sources are reclassified from…
We present the results of the broadband X-ray spectral analysis of simultaneous NuSTAR and XMM-Newton observations of four nearby Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (AGN) candidates selected from the Swift-Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) 150-month catalog. This work is part of a larger effort to identify and characterize all Compton-thick (NH >= 10^24 cm^-2) AGN in the local Universe (z < 0.05). We used three physically motivated models -- MYTorus, borus02, and UXClumpy -- to fit and characterize these sources. Of the four candidates analyzed, 2MASX J02051994-0233055 was found to be an unobscure…
We present the multi-epoch monitoring with NuSTAR and XMM-Newton of NGC 1358, a nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy whose properties made it a promising candidate X-ray changing look AGN, i.e., a source whose column density could transition from its 2017 Compton-thick (CT-, having line-of-sight Hydrogen column density NH,los>10^24 cm^-2) state to a Compton-thin (NH,los<10^24 cm^-2) one. The multi-epoch X-ray monitoring confirmed the presence of significant NH,los variability over time-scales as short as weeks, and allowed us to confirm the "changing look" nature of NGC 1358, which has most recently been o…
We present the joint Chandra, XMM-Newton and NuSTAR analysis of two nearby Seyfert galaxies, NGC 3081 and ESO 565-G019. These are the only two having Chandra data in a larger sample of ten low redshift ($z \le 0.05$), candidates Compton-thick Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) selected in the 15-150 keV band with Swift-BAT that were still lacking NuSTAR data. Our spectral analysis, performed using physically-motivated models, provides an estimate of both the line-of-sight (l.o.s.) and average (N$_{H,S}$) column densities of the two torii. NGC 3081 has a Compton-thin l.o.s. column density N$_{H,z}$=[…
We present the analysis of Chandra and NuSTAR spectra of NGC 4968, a local (D$\sim$44 Mpc) 12$μ$m-selected Seyfert 2 galaxy, enshrouded within Compton-thick layers of obscuring gas. We find no evidence of variability between the Chandra and NuSTAR observations (separated by 2 years), and between the two NuSTAR observations (separated by 10 months). Using self-consistent X-ray models, we rule out the scenario where the obscuring medium is nearly spherical and uniform, contradicting the results implied by the $<$10 keV Chandra spectrum. The line-of-sight column density, from intervening matter b…
We have extensively studied the broadband X-ray spectra of the source ESO~141--G055 using all available \xmm{} and \nustar{} observations. We detect a prominent soft excess below 2 keV, a narrow Fe line and a Compton hump (>10 keV). The origin of the soft excess is still debated. We used two models to describe the soft excess: the blurred reflection from the ionized accretion disk and the intrinsic thermal Comptonisation model. We find that both of these models explain the soft excess equally well. We confirm that we do not detect any broad Fe line in the X-ray spectra of this source, although…
We present the results of a joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observation (200 ks) of the galaxy cluster Abell 523 at $z=0.104$. The peculiar morphology of the cluster radio halo and its outlier position in the radio power P(1.4 GHz) - X-ray luminosity plane make it an ideal candidate for the study of radio-X-ray correlations and for the search of inverse Compton (IC) emission. We constructed thermodynamic maps derived from the XMM observations to describe in detail the physical and dynamical state of the ICM. We performed a point-to-point comparison in terms of surface brightness between the X-ray …
We present the systematic broadband X-ray spectral analysis of 52 Compton-thick ($24 \leq \log N_{\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{LOS}}/\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$) active galactic nucleus (CTAGN) candidates selected by the Swift/BAT all-sky hard X-ray survey observed with Chandra, XMM--Newton, Swift/XRT, Suzaku, and NuSTAR. The XMM--Newton data of 10 objects and the NuSTAR data of 15 objects are published for the first time. We use an X-ray spectral model from a clumpy torus (XClumpy) to determine the torus properties. As a result, the hydrogen column density along the line of sight $N_{\mathrm{H}}^{\mathrm{LOS}}…
The NuSTAR View of Nearby Compton-thick AGN: The Cases of NGC 424, NGC 1320 and IC 2560
本文介绍了NuSTAR在3-79 keV波段观测到的三个Seyfert 2活动星系核NGC 424、NGC 1320和IC 2560的X射线光谱分析。高质量的硬X射线光谱允许在这些源中首次对康普顿反射分量进行详细建模。使用准同步NuSTAR和Swift/XRT数据，以及档案XMM-牛顿数据，我们发现，所有三个核被掩盖的康普顿厚的材料，柱密度超过~5 x $10^{24}$ cm $^{-2}$，和他们的X射线光谱超过3千电子伏的康普顿厚的材料上的反射的内在连续性占主导地位。由于非常高的遮蔽度，吸收的本征连续谱分量在任何源中的数据都不是正式要求的。我们通过反射光谱的形状来约束反射介质的内禀光子指数和柱密度。使用档案多波长数据，我们恢复的固有的X射线光度与宽带光谱能量分布一致。我们的研究结果是一致的反射介质是一个边缘上的cluerectorus具有相对较大的全球覆盖因子和整体反射效率的顺序为1%。由于明确确认的康普顿厚的性质的来源，我们调查是否有可能错过了康普顿厚AGN的常用选择标准，并探讨找到他们的高红移同行的可能性。
We present the timing and spectral analysis of the Compton Thick Seyfert 2 active galactic nuclei NGC 1068 observed using {\it NuSTAR} and {\it XMM-Newton}. In this work for the first time we calculated the coronal temperature ($\rm{kT_{e}}$) of the source and checked for its variation between the epochs if any. The data analysed in this work comprised of (a) eight epochs of observations with {\it NuSTAR} carried out during the period December 2012 to November 2017, and, (b) six epochs of observations with {\it XMM-Newton} carried out during July 2000 to February 2015. From timing analysis of …
We report the discovery of a Compton-thick (CT) dust-obscured galaxy (DOG) at $z$ = 0.89, WISE J082501.48+300257.2 (WISE0825+3002), observed by Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). X-ray analysis with the XCLUMPY model revealed that hard X-ray luminosity in the rest-frame 2-10 keV band of WISE0825+3002 is $L_{\rm X}$ (2-10 keV) = $4.2^{+2.8}_{-1.6} \times 10^{44}$ erg s$^{-1}$ while its hydrogen column density is $N_{\rm H}$ = $1.0^{+0.8}_{-0.4} \times 10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$, indicating that WISE0825+3002 is a mildly CT active galactic nucleus (AGN). We performed the spectral energy dis…
We present the analysis of a sample of 35 candidate Compton thick (CT-) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected in the nearby Universe (average redshift <z>~0.03) with the Swift-BAT 100-month survey. All sources have available NuSTAR data, thus allowing us to constrain with unprecedented quality important spectral parameters such as the obscuring torus line-of-sight column density (N_{H, z}), the average torus column density (N_{H, tor}) and the torus covering factor (f_c). We compare the best-fit results obtained with the widely used MyTorus (Murphy et al. 2009) model with those of the recentl…
We analyse the properties of the X-ray emission from Seyfert 2 NGC 7172 which are based on the 32 ks observational data from NuSTAR in 2014. This source showed a constant Compton-thin obscuration $N_{H}\approx 8\cdot 10^{22} cm^{-2}$, which is similar to that observed by XMM-Newton, Suzaku, ASCA and BeppoSAX over past 30 years. We revealed the presence of a moderate reflection component with <R>~0.44 and a narrow FeKα line with $67^{+13}_{-14}$ eV. The applied numerical models of torus confirmed the Compton-thin type of the Seyfert nucleus and allowed us to obtain an estimate of the torus open…
The obscuration observed in active galactic nuclei (AGN) is mainly caused by dust and gas distributed in a torus-like structure surrounding the supermassive black hole (SMBH). However, properties of the obscuring torus of the AGN in X-ray have not been fully investigated yet due to the lack of high-quality data and proper models. In this work, we perform a broadband X-ray spectral analysis of a large, unbiased sample of obscured AGN (with line-of-sight column density 23$\le$log(NH)$\le$24) in the nearby universe which has high-quality archival NuSTAR data. The source spectra are analyzed using…
X-ray emission from AGN is believed to be produced via Comptonization of optical/UV seed photons emitted by the accretion disk, up-scattered by hot electrons in a corona surrounding the black hole. A critical compactness vs. temperature threshold is predicted above which any increase in the source luminosity, for a fixed size, would then generate positron-electron pairs rather than continue heating the coronal plasma. Current observations seem to confirm that all AGN populate the region below this critical line. These models, however, have never been probed by observations in the high-luminosi…
We present a detailed analysis of the spectral properties of the black hole transient GRS 1716-249, based on the archival Swift and NuSTAR observations taken during the outburst of this source in 2016-2017. The first six NuSTAR observations show that the source is in a canonical hard state, where the spectrum is dominated by a power-law continuum. The seventh NuSTAR observation is taken during the intermediate state where both a disc thermal component and a power-law continuum are shown. All of our observations show a broad emission line feature in the iron band and a Compton hump above 10 keV…
本文讨论了红外过剩源（IRX）的性质，它们被认为是亮度L_X（2- 10 keV）> 1 e43 erg/s的康普顿厚（N_H> 2 e24 cm ^{-2} $) QSOs at z~2. Lower redshift, z~1, analogues of the distant IRX population are identified by firstly redshifting to z=2 the SEDs of all sources with secure spectroscopic redshifts in the AEGIS (6488) and the GOODS-North (1784) surveys and then selecting those that qualify as IRX sources at that redshift. A total of 19 galaxies are selected. The mean redshift of the sample is $ z \approx 1 $. We do not find strong evidence for Compton Thick QSOs in the sample. For 9 sources with X-ray counterparts, the X-ray spect…
