Context. There is growing evidence for the presence of blueshifted Fe K absorption lines in a number of radio-quiet AGNs and QSOs. These may be fundamental to probe flow dynamics near supermassive black holes. Aims. Here we aim to verify and better characterise the existence of such Fe K absorption at ∼8–10 keV in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509, one of the most promising target for these studies. Methods. We present a comprehensive spectral analysis of the six XMM-Newton observations of the source (for a total of ∼200 ks), focusing on a detailed and systematic search for absorption features in the high-energy data. Results. We detect several absorption features at rest-frame energies ∼8–8.5 keV and ∼9.7 keV. The lines are consistent with being produced by H-like iron Kα and Kβ shell absorptions associated with an outflow with a mildly relativistic velocity of ∼0.14–0.2 c. The lines are found to be variable in energy and, marginally, in intensity, implying variations in either the column density, geometry and/or ionization structure of the outflow are common.
Cappi M., Tombesi F., Bianchi S., Dadina M., Giustini M., Malaguti G., et al. (2009). X-ray evidence for a mildly relativistic and variable outflow in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 504, 401-407 [10.1051/0004-6361/200912137].
X-ray evidence for a mildly relativistic and variable outflow in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509
TOMBESI, FRANCESCO;GIUSTINI, MARGHERITA;PALUMBO, GIORGIO;VIGNALI, CRISTIAN;
2009
Abstract
Context. There is growing evidence for the presence of blueshifted Fe K absorption lines in a number of radio-quiet AGNs and QSOs. These may be fundamental to probe flow dynamics near supermassive black holes. Aims. Here we aim to verify and better characterise the existence of such Fe K absorption at ∼8–10 keV in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509, one of the most promising target for these studies. Methods. We present a comprehensive spectral analysis of the six XMM-Newton observations of the source (for a total of ∼200 ks), focusing on a detailed and systematic search for absorption features in the high-energy data. Results. We detect several absorption features at rest-frame energies ∼8–8.5 keV and ∼9.7 keV. The lines are consistent with being produced by H-like iron Kα and Kβ shell absorptions associated with an outflow with a mildly relativistic velocity of ∼0.14–0.2 c. The lines are found to be variable in energy and, marginally, in intensity, implying variations in either the column density, geometry and/or ionization structure of the outflow are common.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.