In an X-ray reflection spectrum, a tail-like spectral feature generated via Compton down-scattering, known as a Compton shoulder (CS), appears at the low-energy side of the iron K$α$ line. Despite its great diagnostic potential, its use as a spectral probe of the reflector has been seriously limited due to observational difficulties and modelling complexities. We revisit the basic nature of the CS by systematic investigation into its dependence on spatial and temporal parameters. The calculations are performed by Monte-Carlo simulations for sphere and slab geometries. The dependence is obtained in a two-dimensional space of column density and metal abundance, demonstrating that the CS solves parameter degeneration between them which was seen in conventional spectral analysis using photoelectric absorption and fluorescence lines. Unlike the iron line, the CS does not suffer from any observational dependence on the spectral hardness. The CS profile is highly dependent on the inclination angle of the slab geometry unless the slab is Compton-thick, and the time evolution of the CS is shown to be useful to constrain temporal information on the source if the intrinsic radiation is variable. We also discuss how atomic binding of the scattering electrons in cold matter blurs the CS profile, finding that the effect is practically similar to thermal broadening in a plasma with a moderate temperature of $\sim$5 eV. Spectral diagnostics using the CS is demonstrated with grating data of X-ray binary GX 301$-$2, and will be available in future with high-resolution spectra of active galactic nuclei obtained by microcalorimeters.
A XRISM view of the iron line complex in NGC 1068: Rethinking the prototypical Compton-thick AGN
European Space Agency (ESA)（欧洲空间局）；European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC)（欧洲空间研究与技术中心）；Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Universiteit Gent（根特大学天文台）；INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri（意大利国家天体物理研究所阿切特里天文台）；INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera（意大利国家天体物理研究所布雷拉天文台）；The Catholic University of America（美利坚天主教大学）；Università di Trento（特伦托大学）；INAF Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna (OAS)（意大利国家天体物理研究所博洛尼亚天体物理与空间科学观测站）；Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”（罗马第二大学）；“Sapienza” Università di Roma（罗马第一大学）；INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali（意大利国家天体物理研究所天体物理学与行星科学研究所）
Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences（捷克科学院天文研究所）；Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, UMR 7550（斯特拉斯堡大学、法国国家科学研究中心、斯特拉斯堡天文台）；INAF Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali（意大利国家天体物理研究所）；Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Padova（帕多瓦大学物理与天文学系）；Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Università degli Studi Roma Tre（罗马第三大学数学与物理系）；Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences（波兰科学院尼古拉·哥白尼天文中心）
High Spectral Resolution X-ray Observations of the Evolved Supermassive Stellar Binary System $η$ Carinae - Iron K$α$ Band Profile Revealed with XRISM
University of Geneva（日内瓦大学）；Ehime University（爱媛大学）；University of Maryland, College Park（马里兰大学帕克分校）；NASA Goddard Space Flight Center（美国宇航局戈达德太空飞行中心）；Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST II)（空间科学与技术研究探索中心（CRESST II））；University of Tokyo（东京大学）；Technion（以色列理工学院）；Center for Space Sciences and Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County（马里兰大学巴尔的摩县空间科学与技术中心）；Center for Astrophysics — Harvard-Smithsonian（哈佛-史密森天体物理中心）
