arXiv subjects

A. C. Fabian

Publications and source records attributed to A. C. Fabian.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Are X-ray Atmospheres Heated by Turbulent Dissipation? XRISM Constraints

We evaluate whether dissipation of turbulence injected into hot cluster atmospheres by jets and bubbles can offset radiative cooling flows. No trends are found between atmospheric velocity dispersion, $σ_v$, and either the ratio of kinetic to thermal energy or jet power over nearly four decades of jet power. Apparently, jets disperse their energy gently at roughly constant energy per gram of gas. Assuming the velocity dispersions at the centers of Perseus, Virgo, and Hydra A reflect jetted turbulence, up to roughly half the bubble enthalpy could be dissipated by turbulent motion. A model is presented that balances radiation losses and turbulent power injected by radio bubbles rising at their terminal speeds. The model is anchored by XRISM measurements of $σ_v$ and is governed by the ratio of the bubble's terminal speed to the atmospheric sound speed. Bubbles must rise close to the sound speed and impart energy with a broad range of injection scales to heat the entire cooling volume. The level of turbulence in the powerful Hydra A system may offset cooling over some of the cooling volume. However, turbulent dissipation would struggle and probably fail to balance cooling in Perseus and Virgo, except perhaps in their inner regions. Several factors including, low velocity dispersions, small injection scales, short duty cycles, anisotropic turbulence injection, and long turbulent diffusion timescales present severe challenges for jetted turbulence heating models. A larger sample of spatially resolved cluster atmospheres is needed to reach a definitive conclusion.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

The splash beneath the largest radio bubble in a cluster core

We present a 100 ks XRISM Resolve observation of the Ophiuchus cluster that measures turbulence and bulk motion in the wake of the largest radio bubble on the sky. We detect a significant velocity shift of $-80\pm20$ km/s from the cluster centre to the bubble's wake and a clear increase in velocity dispersion from $135\pm10$ km/s to $210\pm20$ km/s. The measured bulk velocity in the wake is low and suggests that the bubble's trajectory is inclined with respect to the line of sight. If we subdivide the bubble's wake, fitting spectra simultaneously with cross-region responses, we find that the velocity shift and dispersion increase are primarily detected in the very centre of the wake. This is consistent with the expected updraft, or `splash', found beneath buoyantly rising radio bubbles. In the cluster's cool core, the turbulent kinetic energy is only 1% of the thermal energy radiated over a cooling timescale of 7 Gyr, and even falls short, by a factor of 5, of the thermal energy radiated over the bubble's rise time. Whilst turbulent energy generated in the large wake region may provide additional heating, this propagates too slowly to prevent rapid cooling across the core. The turbulent-dissipation heating rate is a factor of ~3 below the cooling luminosity. Despite the vast power of the giant radio bubble in the Ophiuchus cluster, the gas motions in the wake are remarkably modest and turbulent-dissipation appears unable to prevent rapid cooling.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

Time-resolved XRISM spectroscopy reveals the evolution and structure of the corona in MCG-6-30-15

We present a time-resolved analysis of high-resolution spectra of the AGN MCG-6-30-15 obtained by XRISM alongside broadband spectra from NuSTAR and XMM-Newton during a coordinated observing campaign in February 2024. These observations provide some of the most detailed measurements of X-ray reflection from the innermost regions of the accretion disc around a supermassive black hole, and its evolution during periods of significant variability. We find that both the X-ray spectrum and its variability can be described by a self-consistent model of the reflection of the coronal X-ray emission from the accretion disc around a rapidly-spinning (a > 0.93) black hole, in which the observed variability arises from underlying changes in the luminosity, spatial extent and motion of the corona. While the corona is compact, residing within 10rg of the black hole for the majority of the observations, finite spatial extent is required to fully explain the shape of the reflection spectrum. A flare was observed in the X-ray emission during which the corona expanded to around 15rg and was accelerated away from the black hole reaching a velocity of 0.27c. Around the flare were short dips in the observed flux, during which the corona was found to have collapsed to a confined region, within 2.5rg of the black hole, enhancing the relativistic effects observed from the inner accretion disc. We find it is necessary to account for such significant spectral variation in order to obtain accurate measurements of the spin of the black hole via X-ray reflection spectroscopy.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2026

The possible accretion discs of GN-z11 at redshift z = 10.6, MoM-z14 at z = 14.44 and other high redshift objects

The JWST has enabled the discovery of Active Galactic Nuclei at high redshifts. The intrinsic UV spectrum of GN-z11 at redshift z=10.6 has a spectral slope compatible with a standard accretion disc. By fitting a disc model to its spectrum, we find that the mass of the black hole must be above 1.12 x 10^7 Msun in order that it lies below the Eddington limit. We define this mass as the Eddington mass of the black hole. We note that the spectral shape is consistent with that of accreting stellar mass black holes sources in their soft state, for which no variability is expected. Mom-z14 is a more distant object at $z=14.44$ and has a similar UV slope. Disc model-fitting gives a similar result but lower mass accretion rate. We also examine3 further high redshift objects: GS z14-1, GHZ2 and PAN-z14-1 at z=13.86, 12.34 and 13.53, again obtaining similar results. If sub-Eddington accretion discs are indeed the origin of much of the UV emission from these objects, then the existence of massive black holes less than 304 and 290 Myr after the Big Bang point either to exceptional black hole seeds or to primordial black holes. The observed spread of UV spectral slopes in high redshift objects suggests that our approach may be relevant to about half of that population.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

A New Broadband Spectral State in the Ultraluminous X-ray Source Holmberg IX X-1

We present a series of five new broadband X-ray observations of the ultraluminous X-ray source Holmberg IX X-1, performed by $XMM$-$Newton$ and $NuSTAR$ in coordination. The first three of these show high soft X-ray fluxes but a near total collapse of the high-energy ($\gtrsim$15 keV) emission, previously seen to be surprisingly stable across all prior broadband observations of the source. The latter two show a recovery in hard X-rays, remarkably once again respecting the same stable high-energy flux exhibited by all of the archival observations. We also present a joint analysis of all broadband observations of Holmberg IX X-1 to date (encompassing 11 epochs in total) in order to investigate whether it shows the same luminosity-temperature behaviour as NGC 1313 X-1 (which also shows a stable high-energy flux), whereby the hotter disc component in the spectrum exhibits two distinct, positively-correlated tracks in the luminosity-temperature plane. Holmberg IX X-1 may show similar behaviour, but the results depend on whether the highest energy emission is assumed to be an up-scattering corona or an accretion column. The strongest evidence for this behaviour is found in the former case, while in the latter the new 'soft' epochs appear distinct from the other high-flux epochs. We discuss possible explanations for these new 'soft' spectra in the context of the expected structure of super-Eddington accretion flows around black holes and neutron stars, and highlight a potentially interesting analogy with the recent destruction and re-creation of the corona seen in the AGN 1ES 1927+654.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

The Broadband View of the Bare Seyfert PG 1426+015: Relativistic Reflection, the Soft Excess and the Importance of Oxygen

We present results from a deep, coordinated $XMM$-$Newton$ + $NuSTAR$ observation of the type 1 Seyfert PG 1426+015, a source of particular interest as the most massive reverberation-mapped black hole to date ($\log [M_{\rm{BH}}/M_{\odot}]$ = $9.01^{+0.11}_{-0.16}$). The high-resolution RGS data confirm the 'bare' nature of the source, showing no evidence for absorption beyond the Galactic column, while the broadband spectrum unambiguously reveals the presence of relativistic reflection from the innermost accretion disc (in the form of a relativistically broadened iron emission and associated Compton reflection hump) as well as confirming the presence of the strong soft excess reported previously. We explore whether relativistic reflection can successfully account for the soft excess along with the higher-energy reflection features, utilizing the two most-commonly used reflection codes (REFLIONX, XILLVER). Ultimately we find that both models are able to successfully reproduce the soft excess, though in the case of the XILLVER model this is contingent on reducing the strength of the O VIII line included in the model, as otherwise this feature prevents the model from reproducing the data. The reflection models that successfully reproduce the broadband data imply a relatively high density for the accretion disc of $\log [n_{\rm{e}} / \rm{cm}^{-3}] \sim 18$, consistent with the loose anti-correlation seen from other AGN in the $\log [n_{\rm{e}} / \rm{cm}^{-3}]$ vs $\log[m_{\rm{BH}} \dot{m}^2]$ plane, as well as a moderate-to-high black hole spin of $a^* \gtrsim 0.7$. This preliminary spin constraint is strongly dependent on the assumption that the soft excess is dominated by relativistic reflection.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

Another view into JWST-discovered X-ray weak AGNs via radiative dusty feedback

JWST has revealed a previously unknown population of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the early Universe. These JWST-AGN at high redshifts are characterised by a set of peculiar properties, including unusually weak X-ray emission. Here we investigate the apparent lack of X-ray emission in the framework of the ``AGN radiative dusty feedback'' scenario based on the effective Eddington limit for dust. We analyse how the boundary in the $N_\mathrm{H} - λ$ plane, defined by the column density versus the Eddington ratio, is modified as a function of the dusty gas parameters (metallicity, dust grain size and composition). Low metallicity gas with little dust content tends to survive against radiation pressure, and likely accumulates in the nuclear region. We suggest that such dust-poor gas can provide long-lived absorption and may lead to heavy X-ray obscuration, as observed in early JWST-AGN. The blowout vs. stalling condition of the obscuring clouds indicates that higher metallicities are required to eject heavier column densities, while large columns of gas can stall in low metallicity environments. Therefore the metallicity may play a key role in the AGN radiative dusty feedback scenario. We discuss how other peculiar properties of JWST-AGN -- such as Balmer absorption features and weak radio emission -- may be naturally interpreted within the same physical framework.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Hidden (absorbed) Cooling Flows V: Groups and Galaxies including Spirals

Cooling flows are observed in X-ray studies of the centres of cool core clusters, galaxy groups and individual elliptical galaxies. They are partly hidden from direct view by embedded cold gas so have been called Hidden Cooling Flows. X-ray spectra from the XMM RGS reveal emission from hot gas modified by photoelectric absorption by cold gas intrinsic to the flow. Here we present the spectral analysis of 6 more low redshift galaxy groups ranging from the nearest fossil group to 2 groups hosting bright radio sources. All reveal absorbed cooling flows. AGN feedback is ineffective in heating the inner cooling gas in groups and elliptical galaxies. We have extended the analysis to include 3 nearby spiral galaxies (the Sombrero, Whirlpool and Sculptor galaxies). They have similar absorbed soft X-ray spectra to elliptical galaxies and may also host cooling flows of 0.3 to 1.1\Msun/yr in their CircumGalactic Medium.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

A XRISM Observation of the Archetypal Radio-Mode Feedback System Hydra-A: Measurements of Atmospheric Motion and Constraints on Turbulent Dissipation

We present XRISM Resolve observations centered on Hydra-A, a redshift z = 0.054 brightest cluster galaxy which hosts one of the largest and most powerful FR-I radio sources in the nearby Universe. We examine the effects of its high jet power on the velocity structure of the cluster's hot atmosphere. Hydra-A's central radio jets have inflated X-ray cavities with energies upward of $10^{61}$ erg. They reach altitudes of 225 kpc from the cluster center, well beyond the atmosphere's central cooling region. Resolve's $3\times3$ arcmin field-of-view covers $190\times190$ kpc, which encompasses most of the cooling volume. We find a one dimensional atmospheric velocity dispersion across the volume of $164\pm10$ km/s. The fraction in isotropic turbulence or unresolved bulk velocity is unknown. Assuming pure isotropic turbulence, the turbulent kinetic energy is $2.5 \%$ of the thermal energy radiated away over the cooling timescale, implying that kinetic energy must be supplied continually to offset cooling. While Hydra-A's radio jets are powerful enough to supply kinetic energy to the atmosphere at the observed level, turbulent dissipation alone would struggle to offset cooling throughout the cooling volume. The central galaxy's radial velocity is similar to the atmospheric velocity, with an offset of $-37 \pm 23$ km/s.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2025

Simultaneous NICER and NuSTAR Observations of the Neutron Star Low-mass X-ray Binary Serpens X-1

We present the first contemporaneous NICER and NuSTAR analysis of the low-mass X-ray binary Serpens X-1 obtained in June 2023, performing broadband X-ray spectral analysis modeling of the reprocessed emission with RELXILLNS from $0.4-30$ keV. We test various continuum and background estimation models to ensure that our results do not hinge on the choice of model used and found that the detection of reflection features is independent of the choice of both continuum and background model. The position of the inner accretion disk is consistent with the last stable circular orbit ($R_{\rm in} \leq 1.2$~$R_{ISCO}$) and a low inclination of $i\leq 8.3 ^{\circ}$. Additionally, we investigate the presence of the low energy ($\sim$ 1 keV) Fe L complex in the data from NICER and the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) on XMM-Newton that was previously reported in the literature. We find that the line is at most a 2% feature relative to the reprocessed continuum and are unable to claim a definitive detection for the current dataset. However, we discuss plausible conditions and systems that would increase the likelihood of detecting this feature in the future.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Hidden Cooling Flows in Elliptical Galaxies

The radiative cooling time of hot gas in the cool cores of many galaxy clusters and massive elliptical galaxies drops in the centre to below 100 million years. The mass cooling rates inferred from simple modelling of X-ray observations of these objects are very low, indicating that either AGN feedback is tightly balanced or that soft X-rays from cooling gas are somehow hidden from view. An intrinsic absorption model developed for application to galaxy clusters is used here to search for hidden cooling flows (HCFs) in seven nearby elliptical galaxies. Mass cooling rates of 0.5-8 solar masses per year are found in each galaxy. The absorbed cooling flow luminosity is in agreement with the observed Far Infrared (FIR) luminosity in each case, indicating absorbed emission is energetically capable of emerging in the FIR band. An observed lack of agreement between HCF rates and normal star formation rates suggests the cooled material must have an alternative fate, with low-mass star formation considered as the primary outcome.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Hidden Cooling Flows IV: More Details on Centaurus and the Efficiency of AGN Feedback in Clusters

Cooling flows are common in galaxy clusters which have cool cores. The soft X-ray emission below 1 keV from the flows is mostly absorbed by cold dusty gas within the central cooling sites. Further evidence for this process is presented here through a more detailed analysis of the nearby Centaurus cluster and some additional clusters. Predictions of JWST near and mid-infrared spectra from cooling gas are presented. [NeVI] emission at 7.65 micron should be an important diagnostic of gas cooling between 6 and 1.5 times 10^5 K. The emerging overall picture of hidden cooling flows is explored. The efficiency of AGN feedback in reducing the total cooling rate in cool cores is shown to be above 50 percent for many clusters but is rarely above 90 per cent. The reduction is mostly in outer gas. Cooling dominates in elliptical galaxies and galaxy groups which have mass flow rates below about 15M/yr and in some massive clusters where rates can exceed 1000M/yr.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

estimating the spin of MAXI J1348--630 from intermediate and soft states using \textit{Insight}-HXMT data

We present a broadband spectral analysis of the soft-intermediate and soft states using \textit{Insight}-HXMT observations of the black hole binary MAXI J1348--630 during its outburst in 2019. We employ a combination of reflection and continuum fitting methods to measure the spin of the black hole and determine a spin of $a=0.79\pm0.13$, which is consistent with most of the previous results. Additionally, we investigate some sources of systematic uncertainty that could bias the measurement. The valid spectral hardening factor can partially account for the spin evolution observed during the outburst. Other potential factors, such as assumptions about the corona's structure and their interaction with reflected photons, can also affect the accuracy of spin measurements. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that MAXI J1348--630 exhibits a significantly high disc density ($\sim10^{22}\,\rm{cm}^{-3}$), with a moderate iron abundance of approximately 2.5 times solar.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Are BAL outflows powered by radiation pressure on dust?

Broad absorption line (BAL) outflows are commonly detected in active galactic nuclei (AGN), but their driving mechanism remains poorly constrained. Here we investigate whether radiation pressure on dust can adequately explain the BAL phenomenon observed in quasars. In the framework of our AGN radiative dusty feedback scenario, we show that dust-driven outflows can reach BAL wind-like velocities ($v \sim 10^4$ km/s) on galactic scales ($r \lesssim 1$ kpc). This is consistent with recent observations indicating that BAL acceleration typically occurs on scales of $\sim 10$ pc, and that the majority of BAL outflows are located at galactocentric radii greater than $\sim 100$ pc. We derive the outflow radial velocity profile and compute the associated outflow momentum rate and kinetic power, which are found to be in agreement with the outflow energetics measured in BAL quasars. Therefore radiation pressure on dust may account for the observed BAL outflow dynamics and energetics. Furthermore, we consider BAL clouds/clumps (leading to a clumpy BAL flow characterised by a wide range of outflowing velocities), and we analyse how the resulting covering factors affect the shape of the absorption line profiles. We conclude that dust-driven BAL outflows may provide a significant contribution to AGN feedback on galactic scales.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2024

Quasi-periodic X-ray eruptions years after a nearby tidal disruption event

Quasi-periodic Eruptions (QPEs) are luminous bursts of soft X-rays from the nuclei of galaxies, repeating on timescales of hours to weeks. The mechanism behind these rare systems is uncertain, but most theories involve accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs), undergoing instabilities or interacting with a stellar object in a close orbit. It has been suggested that this disk could be created when the SMBH disrupts a passing star, implying that many QPEs should be preceded by observable tidal disruption events (TDEs). Two known QPE sources show long-term decays in quiescent luminosity consistent with TDEs, and two observed TDEs have exhibited X-ray flares consistent with individual eruptions. TDEs and QPEs also occur preferentially in similar galaxies. However, no confirmed repeating QPEs have been associated with a spectroscopically confirmed TDE or an optical TDE observed at peak brightness. Here we report the detection of nine X-ray QPEs with a mean recurrence time of approximately 48 hours from AT2019qiz, a nearby and extensively studied optically-selected TDE. We detect and model the X-ray, ultraviolet and optical emission from the accretion disk, and show that an orbiting body colliding with this disk provides a plausible explanation for the QPEs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Exploring the high-density reflection model for the soft excess in RBS 1124

'Bare' active galactic nuclei (AGN) are a subclass of Type 1 AGN that show little or no intrinsic absorption. They offer an unobscured view of the central regions of the AGN and therefore serve as ideal targets to study the relativistic reflection features originating from the innermost regions of the accretion disc. We present a detailed broadband spectral analysis ($0.3 - 70$ keV) of one of the most luminous bare AGN in the local universe, RBS 1124 ($z= 0.208$) using a new, co-ordinated high signal-to-noise observation obtained by $\textit{XMM-Newton}$ and $\textit{NuSTAR}$. The source exhibits a power-law continuum with $Γ\sim$ 1.8 along with a soft excess below 2 keV, a weak neutral iron line and curvature at high energies ($\sim 30$ keV). The broadband spectrum, including the soft excess and the high-energy continuum, is well fit by the relativistic reflection model when the accretion disc is allowed to have densities of log$(n_{\rm e}$/cm$^{-3}$) $\gtrsim 19.2$. Our analysis therefore suggests that when high-density effects are considered, relativistic reflection remains a viable explanation for the soft excess.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Constraining the Number Density of the Accretion Disk Wind in Hercules X-1 Using its Ionization Response to X-ray Pulsations

X-ray binaries are known to launch powerful accretion disk winds that can have significant impact on the binary systems and their surroundings. To quantify the impact and determine the launching mechanisms of these outflows, we need to measure the wind plasma number density, an important ingredient in the theoretical disk wind models. While X-ray spectroscopy is a crucial tool to understanding the wind properties, such as their velocity and ionization, in nearly all cases, we lack the signal-to-noise to constrain the plasma number density, weakening the constraints on outflow location and mass outflow rate. We present a new approach to determine this number density in the X-ray binary Hercules X-1 by measuring the speed of the wind ionization response to time-variable illuminating continuum. Hercules X-1 is powered by a highly magnetized neutron star, pulsating with a period of 1.24 s. We show that the wind number density in Hercules X-1 is sufficiently high to respond to these pulsations by modeling the ionization response with the time-dependent photoionization model TPHO. We then perform a pulse-resolved analysis of the best-quality XMM-Newton observation of Hercules X-1 and directly detect the wind response, confirming that the wind density is at least $10^{12}$ cm$^{-3}$. Finally, we simulate XRISM observations of Hercules X-1 and show that they will allow us to accurately measure the number density at different locations within the outflow. With XRISM we will rule out $\sim3$ orders of magnitude in density parameter space, constraining the wind mass outflow rate, energetics, and its launching mechanism.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Consequences of a low-mass, high-pressure, star formation mode in early galaxies

High resolution X-ray spectra reveal hidden cooling flows depositing cold gas at the centres of massive nearby early-type galaxies with little sign of normal star formation. Optical observations are revealing that a bottom-heavy Initial Mass Function is common within the inner kpc of similar galaxies. We revive the possibility that a low-mass star formation mode is operating due to the high thermal pressure in the cooling flow, thus explaining the accumulation of low-mass stars. We further explore whether such a mode operated in early, high-redshift galaxies and has sporadically continued to the present day. The idea links observed distant galaxies with black holes which are ultramassive for their stellar mass, nearby red nuggets and massive early-type galaxies. Nearby elliptical galaxies may be red but they are not dead.

astro-ph.GA↗