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Christopher S. Reynolds

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher S. Reynolds.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Physics Beyond the Standard Model with Future X-ray Observatories: Projected Constraints on Very-Light Axion-Like Particles with $Athena$ and $AXIS$

Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) are well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model of Particle Physics and a generic prediction of some string theories. X-ray observations of bright Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) hosted by rich clusters of galaxies are excellent probes of very-light ALPs, with masses $\mathrm{log}(m_\mathrm{a}/\mathrm{eV}) < -12.0$. We evaluate the potential of future X-ray observatories, particularly $Athena$ and the proposed $AXIS$, to constrain ALPs via observations of cluster-hosted AGN, taking NGC 1275 in the Perseus cluster as our exemplar. Assuming perfect knowledge of instrument calibration, we show that a modest exposure (200-ks) of NGC 1275 by $Athena$ permits us to exclude all photon-ALP couplings $g_\mathrm{aγ} > 6.3 \times 10^{-14} \ {\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$ at the 95% level, as previously shown by $Conlon \ et \ al. \ (2018)$, representing a factor of 10 improvement over current limits. We then proceed to assess the impact of realistic calibration uncertainties on the $Athena$ projection by applying a standard $Cash$ likelihood procedure, showing the projected constraints on $g_\mathrm{aγ}$ weaken by a factor of 10 (back to the current most sensitive constraints). However, we show how the use of a deep neural network can disentangle the energy-dependent features induced by instrumental miscalibration and those induced by photon-ALP mixing, allowing us to recover most of the sensitivity to the ALP physics. In our explicit demonstration, the machine learning applied allows us to exclude $g_\mathrm{aγ} > 2.0 \times 10^{-13} \ {\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$, complementing the projected constraints of next-generation ALP dark matter birefringent cavity searches for very-light ALPs. Finally, we show that a 200-ks $AXIS$/on-axis observation of NGC 1275 will tighten the current best constraints on very-light ALPs by a factor of 3.

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Current and Future constraints on Very-Light Axion-Like Particles from X-ray observations of cluster-hosted Active Galaxies

We discuss our recent constraints on the coupling of Very-Light Axion-Like Particles (of masses $<$$ 10^{-12} \ \mathrm{eV}$) to electromagnetism from $Chandra$ observations of the cluster-hosted Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) H1821+643 and NGC1275. In both cases, the inferred high-quality AGN spectra excluded all photon-ALP couplings $g_\mathrm{aγ} > (6.3 - 8.0) \times 10^{-13} \ {\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$ at the $99.7\%$ level, respectively, based on the non-detection of spectral distortions attributed to photon-ALP inter-conversion along the cluster line-of-sight. Finally, we present the prospects of tightening current bounds on such ALPs by up to a factor of 10 with next-generation X-ray observatories such as $Athena$, $AXIS$ and $LEM$ given their improved spectral and spatial resolution and collecting area compared to current missions.

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Line Driven Winds from Variable Accretion Discs

We use numerical hydrodynamics simulations to study line driven winds launched from an accreting alpha-disc. Building on previous work where the driving radiation field is static, we compute a time-dependent radiation flux from the local, variable accretion rate of the disc. We find that prior to the establishment of a steady state in the disc, variations of ~ 15% in disc luminosity correlate with variations of ~ 2-3 in the mass flux of the wind. After a steady state is reached, when luminosity variations drop to ~ 3%, these correlations vanish as the variability in the mass flux is dominated by the intrinsic variability of the winds. This is especially evident in lower luminosity runs where intrinsic variability is higher due to a greater prevalence of failed winds. The changing mass flux occurs primarily due to the formation of clumps and voids near the disc atmosphere that propagate out into the low velocity part of the flow, a process that can be influenced by local variations in disc intensity. By computing the normalised standard deviation of the mass outflow, we show that the impact of luminosity variations on mass outflow is more visible at higher luminosity. However, the absolute change in mass outflow due to luminosity increases is larger for lower luminosity models due to the luminosity-mass flux scaling relation becoming steeper. We further discuss implications for CVs and AGN and observational prospects.

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X-ray Reverberation Mapping of Ark 564 using Gaussian Process Regression

Ark 564 is an extreme high-Eddington Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy, known for being one of the brightest, most rapidly variable soft X-ray AGN, and for having one of the lowest temperature coronae. Here we present a 410-ks NuSTAR observation and two 115-ks XMM-Newton observations of this unique source, which reveal a very strong, relativistically broadened iron line. We compute the Fourier-resolved time lags by first using Gaussian processes to interpolate the NuSTAR gaps, implementing the first employment of multi-task learning for application in AGN timing. By fitting simultaneously the time lags and the flux spectra with the relativistic reverberation model RELTRANS, we constrain the mass at $2.3^{+2.6}_{-1.3} \times 10^6M_\odot$, although additional components are required to describe the prominent soft excess in this source. These results motivate future combinations of machine learning, Fourier-resolved timing, and the development of reverberation models.

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Evidence for a moderate spin from X-ray reflection of the high-mass supermassive black hole in the cluster-hosted quasar H1821+643

We present an analysis of deep $Chandra$ Low-Energy and High-Energy Transmission Grating archival observations of the extraordinarily luminous radio-quiet quasar H1821+643, hosted by a rich and massive cool-core cluster at redshift $z=0.3$. These datasets provide high-resolution spectra of the AGN at two epochs, free from contamination by the intracluster medium and from the effects of photon pile-up, providing a sensitive probe of the iron-$K$ band. At both epochs, the spectrum is well described by a power-law continuum plus X-ray reflection from both the inner accretion disc and cold, slowly-moving distant matter. Adopting this framework, we proceed to examine the properties of the inner disc and the black hole spin. Using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods, we combine constraints from the two epochs assuming that the black hole spin, inner disc inclination, and inner disc iron abundance are invariant. The black hole spin is found to be modest, with a 90$\%$ credible range of ${a}^{*}=0.62^{+0.22}_{-0.37}$; and, with a mass $M_\mathrm{BH}$ in the range $\log (M_\mathrm{BH}/M_\odot)\sim 9.2-10.5$, this is the most massive black hole candidate for which a well-defined spin constraint has yet been obtained. The modest spin of this black hole supports previous suggestions that the most massive black holes may grow via incoherent or chaotic accretion and/or SMBH-SMBH mergers.

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Probing the Extent of Fe K$α$ Emission in Nearby Active Galactic Nuclei using Multi-Order Analysis of Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Data

We present a study of the narrow Fe K$α$ line in seven bright, nearby AGN that have been observed extensively with the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG). The HETG data reveal a wider Fe K$α$ line in the first order spectrum than in the second and third order spectra, which we interpret as the result of spatially extended Fe K$α$ emission. We utilize these differences in narrow Fe K$α$ line widths in the multi-order Chandra HETG spectra to determine the spatial extent and intrinsic velocity width of the emitting material in each object. We find that there is modest evidence for spatially extended emission in each object, corresponding to extension of $r\sim5-100$ pc. These distances are significantly larger than those inferred from velocity widths assuming gravitational motions, which give $r\sim0.01-1$ pc. This implies that either the gas is emitting at a range of radii, with smaller radii dominating the velocity width and larger radii dominating the spatial extent, or that the gas is exhibiting non-gravitational motions, which we suggest would be outflows due to slight excess redshift in the line and velocities that exceed the freefall velocity. We also use the spatial extent information to estimate the mass of the emitting gas by counting fluorescing iron atoms, finding masses on the order of $M_\mathrm{gas}\sim10^5-10^8\,M_\odot$. Future work with observatories like XRISM will be able to extend this study to a larger number of AGN and decrease uncertainties that arise due to the low signal-to-noise of the higher order HETG data.

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Acoustic waves and g-mode turbulence as energy carriers in a viscous intracluster medium

Many recent works on the observed galaxy clusters in the X-rays highlight broadly two classes of exclusive energy carriers - sound waves and turbulence. In order to understand this dichotomy, we design an idealized three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of a cluster, to assess which of these carriers can dissipate energy in and around the core ($\gtrsim 100$ kpc) . Specifically, we explore how gentle (long-duration outbursts) and intermediate (shorter duration outbursts) feedback modes can function efficiently mediated by compressible (sound waves) and incompressible (g-modes/instabilities/turbulence) disturbances. Since g-modes are confined tightly to the central core, we attempt to maximise the flux of fast sound waves to distribute the feedback energy over a large distance. We find that the contribution to heat dissipation from sound and turbulence varies on the basis of the aforementioned feedback modes, namely: turbulence contributes relatively more than sound in the slow-piston regime and vice versa for the intermediate regime. For the first time in a 3D simulation, we show that up to $\lesssim 20\%$ (in some directions) of the injected power can be carried away by sound flux in the intermediate feedback but it reduces to $\lesssim 10 \%$ (in some directions) in the slow-piston regime. Lastly, we find that sound waves can be elusive if we deduce the equation-of-state (isobaric/isentropic) of the fluctuations from X-ray observations.

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A Disc Reflection Model for Ultra-Soft Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies

We present a detailed analysis of the XMM-Newton observations of five narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s). They all show very soft continuum emission in the X-ray band with a photon index of $Γ\gtrsim 2.5$. Therefore, they are referred to as `ultra-soft' NLS1s in this paper. By modeling their optical/UV-X-ray spectral energy distribution (SED) with a reflection-based model, we find indications that the disc surface in these ultra-soft NLS1s is in a higher ionisation state than other typical Seyfert 1 AGN. Our best-fit SED models suggest that these five ultra-soft NLS1s have an Eddington ratio of $λ_{\rm Edd}=1-20$ assuming available black hole mass measurements. In addition, our models infer that a significant fraction of the disc energy in these ultra-soft NLS1s is radiated away in the form of non-thermal emission instead of the thermal emission from the disc. Due to their extreme properties, X-ray observations of these sources in the iron band are particularly challenging. Future observations, e.g. from Athena, will enable us to have a clearer view of the spectral shape in the iron band and thus distinguish the reflection model from other interpretations of their broadband spectra.

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Black Hole Spin Measurements Based on a Thin Disc Model with Finite Thickness I. An example study of MCG-06-30-15

We present a re-analysis of the XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observing campaign for the well-studied, X-ray-bright AGN MCG-06-30-15. In particular, we consider a disc model with finite thickness. By fitting the disc reflection spectra in the data, we obtain a black hole spin of 0.87--0.99 (90\% confidence range) after taking the thickness of the disc into consideration. Spectral models with a grid of mass accretion rate from 0 to $30\%\dot{M}_{\rm Edd}$ are calculated for MCG-06-30-15. This result is obtained by considering a free disc reflection fraction parameter $f_{\rm refl}$ and is consistent with previous measurements based on razor-thin disc models. Besides, an isotropic, point-like geometry, i.e. the `lamppost' geometry, is assumed for the corona in our model. We find that such a geometry overestimates $f_{\rm refl}$ in the data. Therefore, thin disc models with consistent `lamppost' values of $f_{\rm refl}$ provide a worse fit than ones with a free $f_{\rm refl}$ parameter. We discuss possible reasons for the discrepancy between the observed and theoretical values of $f_{\rm refl}$ at the end of the paper. Modifications for the over-simplified lamppost model might be needed when the thickness of the thin disc is considered in future work.

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XMM-Newton Observations of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy IRAS 13224$-$3809 : X-ray Spectral Analysis II

Previously, we modelled the X-ray spectra of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy IRAS 13224$-$3809 using a disc reflection model with a fixed electron density of $10^{15}$ cm$^{-3}$. An additional blackbody component was required to fit the soft X-ray excess below 2 keV. In this work, we analyse simultaneously five flux-resolved XMM-Newton spectra of this source comprising data collected over 2 Ms. A disc reflection model with an electron density of $n_{\rm e}\approx10^{20}$ cm$^{-3}$ and an iron abundance of $Z_{\rm Fe}=3.2\pm0.5Z_{\odot}$ is used to fit the broad-band spectra of this source. No additional component is required to fit the soft excess. Our best-fit model provides consistent measurements of black hole spin and disc inclination angle as in previous models where a low disc density was assumed. In the end, we calculate the average illumination distance between the corona and the reflection region in the disc of IRAS 13224$-$3809 based on best-fit density and ionisation parameters, which changes from 0.43$\sqrt{f_{\rm AD}/f_{\rm INF}}$ $r_{\rm g}$ in the lowest flux state to 1.71$\sqrt{f_{\rm AD}/f_{\rm INF}}$ $r_{\rm g}$ in the highest flux state assuming a black hole mass of $2\times10^{6}M_{\odot}$. $f_{\rm AD}/f_{\rm INF}$ is the ratio between the flux of the coronal emission that reaches the accretion disc and infinity. This ratio depends on the geometry of the coronal region in IRAS 13224$-$3809. So we only discuss its value based on the simple `lamp-post' model, although detailed modelling of the disc emissivity profile of IRAS 13224$-$3809 is required in future to reveal the exact geometry of the corona.

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How do Magnetic Field Models Affect Astrophysical Limits on Light Axion-like Particles? An X-ray Case Study with NGC 1275

Axion-like particles (ALPs) are a well-motivated extension to the standard model of particle physics, and X-ray observations of cluster-hosted AGN currently place the most stringent constraints on the ALP coupling to electromagnetism, $g_{a γ}$, for very light ALPs ($m_a\lesssim10^{-11}$ eV). We revisit limits obtained by Reynolds et al. (2020) using Chandra X-ray grating spectroscopy of NGC 1275, the central AGN in the Perseus cluster, examining the impact of the X-ray spectral model and magnetic field model. We also present a new publicly available code, ALPro, which we use to solve the ALP propagation problem. We discuss evidence for turbulent magnetic fields in Perseus and show that it can be important to resolve the magnetic field structure on scales below the coherence length. We re-analyse the NGC 1275 X-ray spectra using an improved data reduction and baseline spectral model. We find the limits are insensitive to whether a partially covering absorber is used in the fits. At low $m_a$ ($m_a\lesssim10^{-13}$ eV), we find marginally weaker limits on $g_{a γ}$ (by $0.1-0.3$ dex) with different magnetic field models, compared to Model B from Reynolds et al. (2020). A Gaussian random field (GRF) model designed to mimic $\sim50$ kpc scale coherent structures also results in only slightly weaker limits. We conclude that the existing Model B limits are robust assuming that $β_{\rm pl}\approx100$, and are insensitive to whether cell-based or GRF methods are used. However, astrophysical uncertainties regarding the strength and structure of cluster magnetic fields persist, motivating high sensitivity RM observations and tighter constraints on the radial profile of $β_{\rm pl}$.

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New constraints on light Axion-Like Particles using Chandra Transmission Grating Spectroscopy of the powerful cluster-hosted quasar H1821+643

Axion-Like Particles (ALPs) are predicted by several Beyond the Standard Model theories, in particular, string theory. In the presence of an external magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of propagation, ALPs can couple to photons. Therefore, if an X-ray source is viewed through a magnetised plasma, such as a luminous quasar in a galaxy cluster, we may expect spectral distortions that are well described by photon-ALP oscillations. We present a $571 \ \mathrm{ks}$ combined High and Low Energy Transmission Grating (HETG/LETG) Chandra observation of the powerful radio-quiet quasar H1821+643, hosted by a cool-core cluster at redshift $0.3$. The spectrum is well described by a double power-law continuum and broad$+$narrow iron line emission typical of type-1 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), with remaining spectral features $< 2.5\%$. Using a cell-based approach to describe the turbulent cluster magnetic field, we compare our spectrum with photon-ALP mixing curves for 500 field realisations assuming that the thermal-to-magnetic pressure ratio remains constant up to the virial radius. At $99.7\%$ credibility and taking $β= 100$, we exclude all couplings $g_\mathrm{aγ} > 6.3 \times 10^{-13} \ {\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$ for most ALP masses $< 10^{-12} \ \mathrm{eV}$. Our results are moderately more sensitive to constraining ALPs than the best previous result from Chandra observations of the Perseus cluster, albeit with a less constrained field model. We reflect on the promising future of ALP studies with bright AGN embedded in rich clusters, especially with the upcoming Athena mission.

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Probing the circumnuclear environment of NGC1275 with High-Resolution X-ray spectroscopy

NGC1275 is the Brightest Cluster Galaxy (BCG) in the Perseus cluster and hosts the active galactic nucleus (AGN) that is heating the central 100\,kpc of the intracluster medium (ICM) atmosphere via a regulated feedback loop. Here we use a deep 490ks Cycle-19 Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) observation of NGC1275 to study the anatomy of this AGN. The X-ray continuum is adequately described by an unabsorbed power-law with photon index $Γ\approx 1.9$, creating strong tension with the detected column of molecular gas seen via HCN and HCO$^+$ line absorption against the parsec-scale core/jet. This tension is resolved if we permit a composite X-ray source; allowing a column of $N_H\sim 8\times 10^{22}\,{\rm cm}^{-2}$ to cover $\sim 15$% of the X-ray emitter does produce a significant improvement in the statistical quality of the spectral fit. We suggest that the dominant unabsorbed component corresponds to the accretion disk corona, and the sub-dominant X-ray component is the jet working surface and/or jet cocoon that is expanding into clumpy molecular gas. We suggest that this may be a common occurence in BCG-AGN. We conduct a search for photoionized absorbers/winds and fail to detect such a component, ruling out columns and ionization parameters often seen in many other Seyfert galaxies. We detect the 6.4keV iron-K$α$ fluorescence line seen previously by XMM-Newton and Hitomi. We describe an analysis methodology which combines dispersive HETG spectra, non-dispersive microcalorimeter spectra, and sensitive XMM-Newton/EPIC spectra in order to constrain (sub)arcsec-scale extensions of the iron-K$α$ emission region.

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Investigating the Theory of Propagating Fluctuations with Numerical Models of Stochastic Accretion Discs

Across a large range of scales, accreting sources show remarkably similar patterns of variability, most notably the log-normality of the luminosity distribution and the linear root-mean square (rms)-flux relationship. These results are often explained using the theory of propagating fluctuations in which fluctuations in the viscosity create perturbations in the accretion rate at all radii, propagate inwards and combine multiplicatively. While this idea has been extensively studied analytically in a linear regime, there has been relatively little numerical work investigating the non-linear behaviour. In this paper, we present a suite of stochastically driven 1-d $α$-disc simulations, exploring the behaviour of these discs. We find that the eponymous propagating fluctuations are present in all simulations across a wide range of model parameters, in contradiction to previous work. Of the model parameters, we find by far the most important to be the timescale on which the viscosity fluctuations occur. Physically, this timescale will depend on the underlying physical mechanism, thought to be the magnetorotational instability (MRI). We find a close relationship between this fluctuation timescale and the break frequency in the power spectral density (PSD) of the luminosity, a fact which could allow observational probes of the behaviour of the MRI dynamo. We report a fitting formula for the break frequency as a function of the fluctuation timescale, the disc thickness and the mass of the central object.

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2MASX J00423991+3017515: An offset active galactic nucleus in an interacting system

We present a spectroscopic and imaging study of an abnormal active galactic nucleus (AGN), 2MASX J00423991+3017515. This AGN is newly identified in the hard X-rays by the Swift BAT All-Sky survey and found in an edge-on disk galaxy interacting with a nearby companion. Here, we analyze the first optical spectra obtained for this system (taken in 2011 and 2016), high-resolution imaging taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory, and 1" imaging with the Very Large Array. Two unique properties are revealed: the peaks of the broad Balmer emission lines (associated with gas orbiting very near the supermassive black hole) are blue shifted from the corresponding narrow line emission and host galaxy absorption by 1540 km/s, and the AGN is spatially displaced from the apparent center of its host galaxy by 3.8 kpc. We explore several scenarios to explain these features, along with other anomalies, and propose that 2MASX J00423991+3017515 may be an AGN with an unusually strong wind residing in a uniquely configured major merger, or that it is an AGN recoiling from either a gravitational "slingshot" in a three-body interaction or from a kick due to the asymmetric emission of gravitational waves following the coalescence of two progenitor supermassive black holes.

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Astrophysical limits on very light axion-like particles from Chandra grating spectroscopy of NGC 1275

Axions/axion-like particles (ALPs) are a well motivated extension of the Standard Model and are generic within String Theory. The X-ray transparency of the intracluster medium (ICM) in galaxy clusters is a powerful probe of light ALPs (with mass $<10^{-11}\,{\rm eV}$); as X-ray photons from an embedded or background source propagate through the magnetized ICM, they may undergo energy-dependent quantum mechanical conversion into ALPs (and vice versa), imprinting distortions on the X-ray spectrum. We present Chandra data for the active galactic nucleus NGC1275 at the center of the Perseus cluster. Employing a 490ks High-Energy Transmission Gratings (HETG) exposure, we obtain a high-quality 1-9keV spectrum free from photon pileup and ICM contamination. Apart from iron-band features, the spectrum is described by a power-law continuum, with any spectral distortions at the $<3\%$ level. We compute photon survival probabilities as a function of ALP mass $m_a$ and ALP-photon coupling constant $g_{aγ}$ for an ensemble of ICM magnetic field models, and then use the NGC1275 spectrum to constraint the $(m_a, g_{aγ})$-plane. Marginalizing over magnetic field realizations, the 99.7% credible region limits the ALP-photon coupling to $g_{aγ}<6-8\times 10^{-13}\, {\rm GeV}^{-1}$ (depending upon magnetic field model) for masses $m_a<1\times 10^{-12}\,{\rm eV}$. These are the most stringent limit to date on $g_{aγ}$ for these light ALPs, and have already reached the sensitivity limits of next-generation helioscopes and light-shining-through-wall experiments. We highlight the potential of these studies with the next-generation X-ray observatories Athena and Lynx, but note the critical importance of advances in relative calibration of these future X-ray spectrometers.

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Ionized outflows from active galactic nuclei as the essential elements of feedback

Outflows from active galactic nuclei (AGN) are one of the fundamental mechanisms by which the central supermassive black hole interacts with its host galaxy. Detected in $\ge 50\%$ of nearby AGN, these outflows have been found to carry kinetic energy that is a significant fraction of AGN power, and thereby give negative feedback to their host galaxies. To understand the physical processes that regulate them, it is important to have a robust estimate of their physical and dynamical parameters. In this review we summarize our current understanding on the physics of the ionized outflows detected in absorption in the UV and X-ray wavelength bands. We discuss the most relevant observations and our current knowledge and uncertainties in the measurements of the outflow parameters. We also discuss their origin and acceleration mechanisms. The commissioning and concept studies of large telescope missions with high resolution spectrographs in UV/optical and X-rays along with rapid advancements in simulations offer great promise for discoveries in this field over the next decade.

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The Awakening Beast in the Seyfert 1 Galaxy KUG 1141+371 I

KUG 1141+371 is a Seyfert 1 galaxy that shows a simultaneous flux increase in the optical and UV bands in the past decade. For instance, the latest Swift observation in 2019 shows that the UVW2 flux of the AGN in KUG 1141+371 has increased by over one order of magnitude since 2009. Meanwhile, the soft X-ray flux of KUG 1141+371 also shows a steady increase by one order of magnitude since 2007. The significant multi-wavelength luminosity change is likely due to a boost of mass accretion rate from approximately 0.6% of the Eddington limit to 3.2%, assuming a black hole mass of $10^{8}M_{\odot}$. In this work, we conduct detailed multi-epoch X-ray spectral analysis focusing on the variability of the X-ray continuum emission and the puzzling soft excess emission. In addition, our SED models also suggest a simultaneous increase of disc temperature and a decreasing inner disc radius along with the increasing accretion rate. Finally, we discuss possible connection between KUG 1141+371 and black hole transients in outburst.

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