The X-ray Binary Analogy to the First AGN QPO

The Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy REJ1034+396 is so far unique amongst AGN in showing a Quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in its variability power spectrum. There are multiple types of QPO seen in black hole binary (BHB) systems, so we need to identify which BHB QPO corresponds to the one seen in the AGN. A key hint is the `hot disc dominated' energy spectrum of REJ1034+396 which is sufficiently unusual that it suggests a mildly super-Eddington flow, also favoured by the most recent mass estimates for the AGN. This suggests the 67Hz QPO seen occasionally in the mildly super-Eddington BHB GRS 1915+105 as the most likely counterpart, assuming mass scaling of the QPO frequency. This is supported by the fact that these data from GRS 1915+105 have an energy spectrum which is also dominated by a `hot disc' component. Here we show that the underlying broad band power spectral shape and normalisation are also similar, providing further consistency checks for this identification. Thus the AGN QPO adds to the growing evidence for a simple mass scaling of the accretion flow properties between stellar and supermassive black holes.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, to be published in MNRA

The impact of accretion disk winds on the X-ray spectrum of AGN: Part 1 - XSCORT

(abridged) The accretion disk in AGN is expected to produce strong outflows, in particular a UV-line driven wind. Despite providing a good fit to the data, current spectral models of the X-ray spectrum of AGN observed through an accretion disk wind are ad-hoc in their treatment of the properties of the wind material. In order to address these limitations we adopt a numerical computation method that links a series of radiative transfer calculations, incorporating the effect of a global velocity field in a self-consistent manner (XSCORT). We present a series of example spectra from the XSCORT code that allow us to examine the shape of AGN X-ray spectra seen through a wind, for a range of velocity and density distributions, total column densities and initial ionization parameters. These detailed spectral models clearly show considerable complexity and structure that is strongly affected by all these factors. The presence of sharp features in the XSCORT spectra contrasts strongly with both the previous models and with the smooth nature of the observed X-ray spectra of AGN with soft X-ray excesses, demonstrating that accretion disk winds are unlikely to be the origin of this mysterious spectral feature. The most significant parameter affecting the presence of the sharp features in the models is the terminal velocity of the wind. Increasing the terminal velocity of the absorbing material to ~c, and hence dramatically increasing the velocity dispersion across the wind, could potentially remove these features resulting in a spectrum similar to the previous models. Such a fast moving outflow cannot be associated with a radiatively driven accretion disk wind, however the presence of a highly relativistic jet may provide an origin for such material.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures (colour), Accepted for publication in MNRAS (13th Aug 2007). Several significant changes to the text from v

The x-ray corona and jet of cygnus x-1

Evidence is presented indicating that in the hard state of Cygnus X-1, the coronal mag- netic field might be below equipartition with radiation (suggesting that the corona is not powered by magnetic field dissipation) and that the ion temperature in the corona is significantly lower than what predicted by ADAF like models. It is also shown that the current estimates of the jet power set interesting contraints on the jet velocity (which is at least mildly relativistic), the accretion efficiency (which is large in both spectral states), and the nature of the X-ray emitting region (which is unlikely to be the jet).Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication in Journal of Modern Physics D, Proceedings of HEPRO II conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 26-30, 200

Spectral variability in Cygnus X-3

We model the broad-band X-ray spectrum of Cyg X-3 in all states displayed by this source as observed by the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. From our models, we derive for the first time unabsorbed spectral shapes and luminosities for the full range of spectral states. We interpret the unabsorbed spectra in terms of Comptonization by a hybrid electron distribution and strong Compton reflection. We study the spectral evolution and compare with other black hole as well as neutron star sources. We show that a neutron star accretor is not consistent with the spectral evolution as a function of Ledd and especially not with the transition to a hard state. Our results point to the compact object in Cyg X-3 being a massive, ~30 Msun black hole.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Strong constraints on a super-Eddington accretion flow : XMM–Newton observations of an intermediate-mass black hole.

RX J1140.1+0307 is a Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) with one of the lowest black hole masses known in an AGN (M ≤ 106 M⊙). We show results from two new XMM–Newton observations, exhibiting soft 2–10 keV spectra, a strong excess at lower energies, and fast X-ray variability which is typical of this class of AGN. The soft excess can be equally well fit using either low-temperature Comptonization or highly smeared, ionized reflection models, but we additionally consider the fast X-ray variability to produce covariance, lag and coherence spectra to show that the low-temperature Comptonization model gives a better description of the break in variability properties between soft and hard X-rays. Both these models require an additional component at the softest energies, as expected from the accretion disc. However, standard disc models cannot connect this to the optical/UV emission from the outer disc unless the mass is underestimated by an order of magnitude. The variable optical and far UV emission instead suggests that L/LEdd ∼ 10 through the outer disc, in which case advection and/or wind losses are required to explain the observed broad-band spectral energy distribution. This implies that the accretion geometry close to the black hole is unlikely to be a flat disc as assumed in the recent X-ray reverberation mapping techniques