Nuclear obscuration structure in Mrk 417 based on NuSTAR and Swift/BAT data
O. V. Kompaniiets, A. A. Vasylenko
备注：
18 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication to Astrofizika (Astrophysics (Ap)), main text in Russian but with a large detailed description at English
We present the results of X-ray spectral analysis of the Seyfert type 2 galaxy Mrk 417 observed by the NuSTAR (3-60 keV) and the Swift/BAT (14-150) observatories. The NuSTAR data shows a good fit with a baseline model which composed of an absorbed cutoff power-law component and reflected emission from the cold neutral medium. We found that the spectrum is steep $Γ= 1.63_{-0.11}^{+0.10}$ and obscured by hydrogen column density of $N_{H} = 3.22_{-0.39}^{+0.41} \cdot 10^{23} cm^{-2}$, narrow $FeK_α$ emission line has an equivalent width of $EW = 115_{-1}^{+2}$ eV that suggests this feature is originated in a moderate density of obscurer. In combining NuSTAR data with Swift/BAT spectrum we also applied a more physically motivated approach using complex physical models MYTorus and BNTorus. For the first case the photon index of $Γ_{MYTorus} = 1.68_{-0.09}^{+0.09}$ and the line-of-sight column density of the absorber $N_{H,l.o.s} = 3.36_{-0.07}^{+0.04} \cdot 10^{23} cm^{-2}$. Applying BNTorus model shows the photon index $Γ_{BNTorus} = 1.75_{-0.09}^{+0.09}$ and absorption $N_{H,l.o.s} = 3.72_{-0.39}^{+0.49} \cdot 10^{23} cm^{-2}$. Based on the results we get an estimation of gas-dust torus covering factor $f_{c} = 0.29-0.34$ and an intrinsic X-ray luminosity in 2-10 keV of $\approx 3.16\cdot 10^{43}$ erg/s. Further analysis of Mid-Infrared (MIR) observational data, indicates that the covering factor maybe even smaller $f_{c} \approx 0.12$. Our results allow us to suggest that obscuring material of Mrk 417 has preferably a ring-like geometry.
We present XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, Swift and Hubble Space Telescope observations of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 335 in a protracted low state in 2018 and 2019. The X-ray flux is at the lowest level so far observed, and the extremely low continuum flux reveals a host of soft X-ray emission lines from photoionised gas. The simultaneous UV flux drop suggests that the variability is intrinsic to the source, and we confirm this with broad-band X-ray spectroscopy. The dominance of the soft X-ray lines at low energies and distant reflection at high energies is therefore due to the respective emi…
We present the first results from the ongoing, intensive, multi-wavelength monitoring program of the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817. While this AGN was, in part, selected for its historically unobscured nature, we discovered that the X-ray spectrum is highly absorbed, and there are new blueshifted, broad and narrow UV absorption lines, which suggest that a dust-free, ionized obscurer located at the inner broad line region partially covers the central source. Despite the obscuration, we measure UV and optical continuum reverberation lags consistent with a centrally illuminated Shakura-Sunyae…
We present the result of a broadband (0.5-70 keV) X-ray spectral analysis of the late-merger galaxy Mrk 739, which contains a dual active galactic nucleus (AGN), Mrk 739E and Mrk 739W, with a separation of $\sim$3.4 kpc. The spectra obtained with NuSTAR, Chandra, XMM-Newton and Swift/BAT are simultaneously analyzed by separating the contributions from the two AGNs and extended emission with the Chandra data. To evaluate the reflection components from the AGN tori, we consider two models, a phenomenological one (pexrav and zgauss) and a more physically motivated one (XCLUMPY; Tanimoto et al. 20…
The HAWC gamma ray observatory is located at the Sierra Negra Volcano in Puebla, Mexico, at an altitude of 4,100 meters. HAWC is a wide field of view array of 300 water Cherenkov detectors that are continuously surveying ~ 2sr of the sky, operating since March 2015. The large collected data sample allows HAWC to perform an unbiased monitoring of the BL Lac Mrk 421. This is the closest and brightest known extragalactic high-synchrotron-peaked BL Lac in the gamma-ray/X- ray bands and is extensively monitored by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on-board the Fermi satellite, and the BAT and XRT inst…
The Swift/BAT nine-month survey observed 153 AGN, all with ultra-hard X-ray BAT fluxes in excess of 10^-11 erg cm^-2 s^-1 and an average redshift of 0.03. Among them, four of the most luminous BAT AGN (44.73 < Log L(BAT) < 45.31) were selected as targets of Suzaku follow-up observations: J2246.0+3941 (3C 452), J0407.4+0339 (3C 105), J0318.7+6828, and J0918.5+0425. The column density, scattered/reflected emission, the properties of the Fe K line, and a possible variability are fully analyzed. For the latter, the spectral properties from Chandra, XMM-Newton and Swift/XRT public observations were…
In this work, we study the short term flaring activity from the high synchrotron peaked blazar Mrk 501 detected by the FACT and H.E.S.S. telescopes in the energy range 2-20 TeV during June 23-24, 2014 (MJD 56831.86-56831.94). We revisit this major TeV flare of the source in the context of near simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of gamma-rays in MeV-GeV regime with Fermi-LAT, soft X-rays in 0.3-10 keV range with Swift-XRT, hard X-rays in 10-20 keV and 15-50 keV bands with MAXI and Swift-BAT respectively, UV-Optical with Swift-UVOT and 15 GHz radio with OVRO telescope. We have performed …
An enigmatic group of objects, unabsorbed Seyfert 2s may have intrinsically weak broad line regions, obscuration in the line of sight to the BLR but not to the X-ray corona, or so much obscuration that the X-ray continuum is completely suppressed and the observed spectrum is actually scattered into the line of sight from nearby material. NGC 3660 has been shown to have weak broad optical/near infrared lines, no obscuration in the soft X-ray band, and no indication of "changing look" behavior. The only previous hard X-ray detection of this source by Beppo-SAX seemed to indicate that the source …
As one of the most active blazars, Mrk421 is an excellent candidate for the study of the physical processes within the jets of AGN. Here we report on the extensive multi-wavelength observations of Mrk 421 over 4.5 years, from 2008 August to 2013 February. This source was simultaneously monitored by several experiments at different wavelengths: ARGO-YBJ in TeV $γ$-rays, $Fermi$-LAT in GeV $γ$-rays, $Swift$-BAT in hard X-rays, $RXTE$-ASM, $MAXI$ and $Swift$-XRT in soft X-rays, $Swift$-UVOT in ultraviolet, and OVRO in radio frequencies. In particular, thanks to the ARGO-YBJ and $Fermi$ data, the …
In this work, we report on the detection of enhanced TeV gamma- ray emission from the high synchrotron-peaked blazar Mrk 421 with the TACTIC telescope on the night of December 28, 2014 (MJD 57019). We use data from the TACTIC observations of Mrk 421 for one week during December 25-31, 2014 (MJD 57016-57022) in this study. The TACTIC observation on December 28, 2014 (MJD 57019) alone results in the detection of 86+-17 gamma- ray like events from Mrk 421 with a statistical significance of 5.17sigma in a livetime of ~ 2.2 hours above an energy threshold of 0.85 TeV. The high statistics (higher th…
We present the results of a deep spectral analysis of all Swift observations of Mrk 421 between April 2006 and July 2006, when it reached its highest X-ray flux recorded until the end of 2006. We completed this data set with other historical X-ray observations. We used the full data set to investigate the correlation between the spectral parameters. We found a signature of stochastic acceleration in the anticorrelation between the peak energy (Ep) of the spectral energy distribution (SED) and the spectral curvature parameter (b). We found signature of energetic budget of the jet in the correla…
We present the results obtained from timing and spectral studies of the highly obscured low luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC~4941 using data obtained from the {\it Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array} and the {\it Neil Gehrels Swift} Observatories. We find similar variability in $3-10$~keV and $10-60$~keV energy ranges with fractional rms variability of $\sim$14\%. We investigate broad-band spectral properties of the source in 3-150 keV range, using data from {\it NuSTAR} and {\it Swift}/BAT, with phenomenological slab model and physically motivated {\tt mytorus} model. From the spectr…
The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) is designed to provide a highly complete census of the key physical parameters of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) that power local active galactic nuclei (AGN) (z<0.3), including their bolometric luminosity, black hole mass, accretion rates, and line-of-sight gas obscuration, and the distinctive properties of their host galaxies (e.g., star formation rates, masses, and gas fractions). We present an overview of the BASS data release 2 (DR2), an unprecedented spectroscopic survey in spectral range, resolution, and sensitivity, including 1449 optical (3200…
We have discovered a binary AGN in the galaxy Mrk 739 using Chandra and Swift BAT. We find two luminous L_2-10 keV=1.1*10^43 and 1.0*10^42 erg/s, unresolved nuclei with a projected separation of 3.4 kpc (5.8\pm0.1) coincident with two bulge components in the optical image. The western X-ray source (Mrk 739W) is highly variable (2.5x) during the 4-hour Chandra observation and has a very hard spectrum consistent with an AGN. While the eastern component was already known to be an AGN based on the presence of broad optical recombination lines, Mrk 739W shows no evidence of being an AGN in optical,…
Variability of the X-ray obscuring wind in Mrk 335 with XMM-Newton/RGS
University of Chicago（芝加哥大学）；MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院卡弗里天体物理与空间研究所）；Saint Mary’s University（圣玛丽大学）；Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie（马克斯·普朗克射电天文研究所）；Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian（哈佛史密森尼天体物理中心）；The Ohio State University（俄亥俄州立大学）；Technion（以色列理工学院）
Changing-look (CL) AGN are unique probes of accretion onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs), especially when simultaneous observations in complementary wavebands allow investigations into the properties of their accretion flows. We present the results of a search for CL behaviour in 412 Swift-BAT detected AGN with multiple epochs of optical spectroscopy from the BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS). 125 of these AGN also have 14-195 keV ultra-hard X-ray light-curves from Swift-BAT which are contemporaneous with the epochs of optical spectroscopy. Eight CL events are presented for the first time…
We quantify the luminosity contribution of active galactic nuclei (AGN) to the 12 $μ$m, mid-infrared (MIR; 5-38 $μ$m), and the total IR (5-1000 $μ$m) emission in the local AGN detected in the all-sky 70-month Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) ultra hard X-ray survey. We decompose the IR spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 587 objects into AGN and starburst components using AGN torus and star-forming galaxy templates. This enables us to recover the AGN torus emission also for low-luminosity end, down to $\log (L_{14-150}/{\rm erg}~{\rm s}^{-1}) \simeq 41$, which typically have significant h…
We present a uniform broadband X-ray (0.5-100.0 keV) spectral analysis of 12 Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) selected Compton-thick ($\log N_{\mathrm{H}}/\mathrm{cm}^{-2} \geq 24$) Active Galactic Nuclei (CTAGNs) observed with Suzaku. The Suzaku data of 3 objects are published here for the first time. We fit the Suzaku and Swift spectra with models utilizing an analytic reflection code and those utilizing the Monte Carlo based model from an AGN torus by Ikeda et al. 2009. The main results are as follows. (1) The estimated intrinsic luminosity of a CTAGN strongly depends on the model; applyin…
We report on the gamma-ray activity of the high-synchrotron-peaked BL Lacertae object Mrk 421 during the first 1.5 years of Fermi operation, from 2008 August 5 to 2010 March 12. We find that the Large Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray spectrum above 0.3 GeV can be well-described by a power-law function with photon index Gamma=1.78 +/- 0.02 and average photon flux F(>0.3 GeV)=(7.23 +/- 0.16) x 10^{-8} ph cm^{-2} s^{-1}. Over this time period, the Fermi-LAT spectrum above 0.3 GeV was evaluated on 7-day-long time intervals, showing significant variations in the photon flux (up to a factor ~3 from th…
We present a NuSTAR, Chandra, and XMM--Newton survey of nine of the nearest ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs). The unprecedented sensitivity of NuSTAR at energies above 10 keV enables spectral modeling with far better precision than was previously possible. Six of the nine sources observed were detected sufficiently well by NuSTAR to model in detail their broadband X-ray spectra, and recover the levels of obscuration and intrinsic X-ray luminosities. Only one source (IRAS 13120--5453) has a spectrum consistent with a Compton--thick AGN, but we cannot rule out that a second source (Arp 2…
Compton-thick AGN Characterisation in a Multi-wavelength Context: Insights from the 70-Month \textit{SWIFT}/BAT Catalogue
Radio Cosmology Research Lab, Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics Research, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya（马来亚大学理学院天体物理学与天文学研究中心射电宇宙学实验室）；Centre of Foundation, Language and Malaysian Studies, Universiti Malaya-Wales（马来亚-威尔士大学基础、语言与马来西亚研究中心）；National Centre for Particle Physics (NCPP), Universiti Malaya（马来亚大学国家粒子物理中心）；National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS)（日本国立天文台，国立自然科学研究所）；Department of Astronomical Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University of Advanced Studies)（尖端研究大学院大学天体科学系）；Natural Science Laboratory, Toyo University（东洋大学自然科学实验室）；Department of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia（马来西亚国民科技大学理学院应用物理系）
Strong X-ray flares from the blazar Mrk 421 were detected in 2010 January and February through the 7 month monitoring with the MAXI GSC. The maximum 2 -- 10 keV flux in the January and February flares was measured as 120 +- 10 mCrab and 164 +- 17 mCrab respectively; the latter is the highest among those reported from the object. A comparison of the MAXI and Swift BAT data suggests a convex X-ray spectrum with an approximated photon index of about 2. This spectrum is consistent with a picture that MAXI is observing near the synchrotron peak frequency. The source exhibited a spectral variation d…
We present the combined Chandra and Swift-BAT spectral analysis of nine low-redshift (z <= 0.10), candidate heavily obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN) selected from the Swift-BAT 150-month catalog. We located soft (1-10 keV) X-ray counterparts to these BAT sources and joint fit their spectra with physically motivated models.The spectral analysis in the 1-150 keV energy band determined that all sources are obscured, with a line-of-sight column density NH >= 10^22 cm^-2 at a 90% confidence level. Four of these sources show significant obscuration with NH >= 10^23 cm^-2 and two additional sour…
We report a characterization of the multi-band flux variability and correlations of the nearby (z=0.031) blazar Markarian 421 (Mrk 421) using data from Metsähovi, Swift, Fermi-LAT, MAGIC, FACT and other collaborations and instruments from November 2014 till June 2016. Mrk 421 did not show any prominent flaring activity, but exhibited periods of historically low activity above 1 TeV (F$_{>1\mathrm{TeV}}<$ 1.7$\times$10$^{-12}$ ph cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$) and in the 2-10 keV (X-ray) band (F$_{2-10 \mathrm{keV}}<$3.6$\times$10$^{-11}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$), during which the Swift-BAT data suggests a…
We report the results from a 2011 Suzaku observation of the nearby low-ionization BAL quasar/ULIRG Markarian 231. These data reveal that the X-ray spectrum has undergone a large variation from the 2001 XMM-Newton and BeppoSAX observations. We interpret this finding according to a scenario whereby the X-ray continuum source is obscured by a two-component partial-covering absorber with NH ~10^22 and ~10^24 cm^-2, respectively. The observed spectral change is mostly explained by a progressive appearance of the primary continuum at <10 keV due to the decrease of the covering fraction of the denser…
We have discovered heavy obscuration in the dual active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) source SWIFT J2028.5+2543 using Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR). While an early XMM-Newton study suggested the emission was mainly from NGC 6921, the superior spatial resolution of NuSTAR above 10 keV resolves the Swift/BAT emission into two sources associated with the nearby galaxies MCG +04-48-002 and NGC 6921 (z = 0.014) with a projected separation of 25.3 kpc (91"). NuSTAR's sensitivity above 10 keV finds both are heavily obscured to Compton-thick levels (N…
We investigate the relationship between X-ray and optical line emission in 340 nearby AGN selected above 10 keV using Swift BAT. We find a weak correlation between the extinction corrected [O III] and hard X-ray luminosity (14-195 keV) with a [OIII] large scatter (R_Pear = 0.64, sigma = 0.62 dex) and a similarly large scatter with the intrinsic 2-10 keV to [O III] luminosities (RPear=0.63, sigma = 0.63 dex). Correlations of the hard X-ray fluxes with the fluxes of high-ionization narrow lines ([O III], He II, [Ne III] and [Ne V]) are not significantly better than with the low ionization lines …
We present the combined Chandra and Swift-BAT spectral analysis of seven Seyfert 2 galaxies selected from the Swift-BAT 100-month catalog. We selected nearby (z<=0.03) sources lacking of a ROSAT counterpart and never previously observed with Chandra in the 0.3-10 keV energy range, and targeted these objects with 10 ks Chandra ACIS-S observations. The X-ray spectral fitting over the 0.3-150 keV energy range allows us to determine that all the objects are significantly obscured, having NH>=1E23 cm^(-2) at a >99% confidence level. Moreover, one to three sources are candidate Compton thick Active …
We have assembled the largest sample of ultra hard X-ray selected (14-195 keV) AGN with host galaxy optical data to date, with 185 nearby (z<0.05), moderate luminosity AGN from the Swift BAT sample. The BAT AGN host galaxies have intermediate optical colors (u-r and g-r) that are bluer than a comparison sample of inactive galaxies and optically selected AGN from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) which are chosen to have the same stellar mass. Based on morphological classifications from the RC3 and the Galaxy Zoo, the bluer colors of BAT AGN are mainly due to a higher fraction of mergers and …
We present results from an analysis of the broad-band, 0.3-195 keV, X-ray spectra of 48 Seyfert 1-1.5 sources detected in the very hard X-rays with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT). This sample is selected in an all-sky survey conducted in the 14-195 keV band. Therefore, our sources are largely unbiased towards both obscuration and host galaxy properties. Our detailed and uniform model fits to Suzaku/BAT and XMM-Newton/BAT spectra include the neutral absorption, direct power-law, reflected emission, soft excess, warm absorption, and narrow Fe K-alpha emission properties for the entire sam…
We present optical to very-high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations of Mrk 421 between 2008 May 24 and June 23. A high-energy (HE) gamma-ray signal was detected by AGILE-GRID during June 9-15, brighter than the average flux observed by EGRET in Mrk 421 by a factor of approx. 1.5. In 20-60 keV X-rays, a large-amplitude 5-day flare (June 9-15) was resolved with a maximum flux of approx. 55 mCrab. SuperAGILE, RXTE/ASM and Swift/BAT data show a clearly correlated flaring structure between soft and hard X-rays, with a high flux/amplitude variability in hard X-rays. Hints of the same flaring behavio…
(Abridged) We present a detailed broadband X-ray spectrum of NGC 4258, with the goal of precisely measuring the coronal luminosity and accretion flow properties of the AGN, and track any possible variation across two decades of observations. We collect archival XMM-Newton, Chandra, Swift/BAT and NuSTAR spectroscopic observations spanning 15 years, and fit them with a suite of state of the art models, including a warped disk model which is suspected to provide the well known obscuration observed in the X-rays. We complement this information with archival results from the literature. Clear spect…
We present the spectral analysis with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) of four isolated galaxies with active galactic nuclei selected from 2MIG catalogue: NGC 5347, ESO 438-009, MCG-02-09-040, and IGR J11366-6002. We also used the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) data up to $\sim$ 150 keV for MCG 02-09-040, ESO 438-009, and IGR J11366-6002 as well as the Swift/XRT data in 0.3--10 keV energy band for NGC 5347, ESO 438-009, and IGR J11366-6002. All the sources appear to have the reflected spectrum component with different reflection fractions in addition to the primary power-l…
The search for heavily obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has been revitalized in the last five years by NuSTAR, which has provided a good census and spectral characterization of a population of such objects, mostly at low redshift, thanks to its enhanced sensitivity above 10 keV compared to previous X-ray facilities, and its hard X-ray imaging capabilities. We aim at demonstrating how NGC2785, a local (z=0.009) star-forming galaxy, is responsible, in virtue of its heavily obscured active nucleus, for significant contamination in the non-imaging BeppoSAX/PDS data of the relatively nearby (…
We searched for thermonuclear X-ray bursts from Galactic neutron stars in all event mode data of the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory collected until March 31, 2018. In particular, we are interested in the intermediate-duration bursts (shell flashes fueled by thick helium piles) with the ill-understood phenomenon of strong flux fluctuations. Nine such bursts have been discussed in the literature to date. Swift is particularly suitable for finding additional examples. We find and list a total of 134 X-ray bursts; 44 are detected with BAT only, 41 with XRT only, and 49 with both. Twenty-eight burs…
