arXiv subjects

Christopher S. Reynolds

Publications and source records attributed to Christopher S. Reynolds.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

The Spin of Supermassive Black Holes

Black hole spin is a quantity of great interest to both physicists and astrophysicists. We review the current status of spin measurements in supermassive black holes (SMBH). To date, every robust SMBH spin measurement uses X-ray reflection spectroscopy, so we focus almost exclusively on this technique as applied to moderately-luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN). After describing the foundations and uncertainties of the method, we summarize the current status of the field. At the time of writing, observations by XMM-Newton, Suzaku and NuSTAR have given robust spin constraints on 22 SMBHs. We find a significant number of rapidly-rotating SMBHs (with dimensionless spin parameters a>0.9) although, especially at the higher masses (M>4*10^7Msun), there are also some SMBHs with intermediate spin parameters. This may be giving us our first hint at a mass-dependent spin distribution which would, in turn, provide interesting constraints on models for SMBH growth. We also discuss the recent discovery of relativistic X-ray reverberation which we can use to "echo map" the innermost regions of the accretion disk. The ultimate development of these reverberation techniques, when applied to data from future high-throughput X-ray observatories such as LOFT, ATHENA+, and AXSIO, will permit the measurement of black hole spin by a characterization of strong-field Shapiro delays. We conclude with a brief discussion of other electromagnetic methods that have been attempted or are being developed to constrain SMBH spin.

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arXiv2013

An X-Ray View of the Jet-Cycle in the Radio Loud AGN 3C120

We present a study of the central engine in the broad-line radio galaxy 3C120 using a multi-epoch analysis of a deep XMM-Newton observation and two deep Suzaku pointings (in 2012). In order to place our spectral data into the context of the disk-disruption/jet-ejection cycles displayed by this object, we monitor the source in the UV/X-ray bands, and in the radio band. We find three statistically acceptable spectral models, a disk-reflection model, a jet-model and a jet+disk model. Despite being good descriptions of the data, the disk-reflection model violates the radio constraints on the inclination, and the jet-model has a fine-tuning problem, requiring a jet contribution exceeding that expected. Thus, we argue for a composite jet+disk model. Within the context of this model, we verify the basic predictions of the jet-cycle paradigm, finding a truncated/refilling disk during the Suzaku observations and a complete disk extending down to the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) during the XMM-Newton observation. The idea of a refilling disk is further supported by the detection of the ejection of a new jet knot approximately one month after the Suzaku pointings. We also discover a step-like event in one of the Suzaku pointings in which the soft band lags the hard band. We suggest that we are witnessing the propagation of a disturbance from the disk into the jet on a timescale set by the magnetic field.

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arXiv2013

What is on Tap? The Role of Spin in Compact Objects and Relativistic Jets

We examine the role of spin in launching jets from compact objects across the mass scale. Our work includes a total of 37 Seyferts, 11 stellar-mass black holes, and 13 neutron stars. We find that when the Seyfert reflection lines are modeled with Gaussian line features (a crude proxy for inner disk radius and therefore spin), only a slight inverse correlation is found between the Doppler-corrected radio luminosity at 5 GHz (a proxy for jet power) and line width. When the Seyfert reflection features are fit with relativistically-blurred disk reflection models that measure spin, there is a tentative positive correlation between the Doppler-corrected radio luminosity and the spin measurement. Further, when we include stellar-mass black holes in the sample, to examine the effects across the mass scale, we find a slightly stronger correlation with radio luminosity per unit mass and spin, at a marginal significance (2.3 sigma confidence level). Finally, when we include neutron stars, in order to probe lower spin values, we find a positive correlation (3.3 sigma confidence level) between radio luminosity per unit mass and spin. Although tentative, these results suggest that spin may have a role in determining the jet luminosity. In addition, we find a slightly more significant correlation (4.4 sigma confidence level) between radio luminosity per Bolometric luminosity and spin, using our entire sample of black holes and neutrons stars. Again, although tentative, these relations point to the possibility that the mass accretion rate, i.e. Bolometric luminosity, is also important in determining the jet luminosity, in addition to spin. Our analysis suggests that mass accretion rate and disk or coronal magnetic field strength may be the "throttle" in these compact systems, to which the Eddington limit and spin may set the maximum jet luminosity that can be achieved.

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arXiv2013

GRB060218 as a Tidal Disruption of a White Dwarf by an Intermediate Mass Black Hole

A highly unusual pair of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB060218 and an associated supernova SN2006aj has puzzled theorists for years. A supernova shock breakout and a jet from a newborn stellar mass compact object were put forward to explain its multiwavelength signature. We propose that the source is naturally explained by another channel, a tidal disruption of a white dwarf (WD) by an intermediate mass black hole (IMBH). The tidal disruption is accompanied by a tidal pinching, which leads to the ignition of a WD and a supernova. Some debris falls back onto the IMBH, forms a disk, which quickly amplifies the magnetic field, and launches a jet. We successfully fit soft X-ray spectrum with the Comptonized blackbody emission from a jet photosphere. The optical/UV emission is consistent with self-absorbed synchrotron from the expanding jet front. The accretion rate temporal dependence Mdot(t) in a tidal disruption provides a good fit to soft X-ray lightcurve. The IMBH mass is found to be about 10^4Msun in three independent estimates: (1) fitting tidal disruption Mdot(t) to soft X-ray lightcurve; (2) computing the jet base radius in a jet photospheric emission model; (3) inferring the central BH mass based on a host dwarf galaxy stellar mass. The supernova position is consistent with the center of the host galaxy, while low supernova ejecta mass is consistent with a WD mass. High expected rate of tidal disruptions in dwarf galaxies is consistent with one source observed by Swift satellite over several years at GRB060218 distance of 150Mpc. The encounters with the WDs provide a lot of fuel for IMBH growth.

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arXiv2013

Isotropic Heating of Galaxy Cluster Cores via Rapidly Reorienting AGN Jets

AGN jets carry more than sufficient energy to stave off catastrophic cooling of the intracluster medium (ICM) in the cores of cool-core clusters. However, in order to prevent catastrophic cooling, the ICM must be heated in a near-isotropic fashion and narrow bipolar jets with $P_{\rm jet}=10^{44-45}$ ergs/s, typical of radio AGNs at cluster centres, are inefficient at heating the gas in the transverse direction to the jets. We argue that due to existent conditions in cluster cores, the SMBHs will, in addition to accreting gas via radiatively inefficient flows, experience short stochastic episodes of enhanced accretion via thin discs. In general, the orientation of these accretion discs will be misaligned with the spin axis of the black holes and the ensuing torques will cause the black hole's spin axis (and therefore, the jet axis) to slew and rapidly change direction. This model not only explains recent observations showing successive generations of jet-lobes-bubbles in individual cool-core clusters that are offset from each other in the angular direction with respect to the cluster center, but also shows that AGN jets {\it can} heat the cluster core nearly isotropically on the gas cooling timescale. Our model {\it does} require that the SMBHs at the centers of cool-core clusters be spinning relatively slowly. Torques from individual misaligned discs are ineffective at tilting rapidly spinning black holes by more than a few degrees. Additionally, since SMBHs that host thin accretion discs will manifest as quasars, we predict that roughly 1--2 rich clusters within $z<0.5$ should have quasars at their centers.

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arXiv2013

Measuring Black Hole Spin using X-ray Reflection Spectroscopy

I review the current status of X-ray reflection (a.k.a. broad iron line) based black hole spin measurements. This is a powerful technique that allows us to measure robust black hole spins across the mass range, from the stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries to the supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. After describing the basic assumptions of this approach, I lay out the detailed methodology focusing on "best practices" that have been found necessary to obtain robust results. Reflecting my own biases, this review is slanted towards a discussion of supermassive black hole (SMBH) spin in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Pulling together all of the available XMM-Newton and Suzaku results from the literature that satisfy objective quality control criteria, it is clear that a large fraction of SMBHs are rapidly-spinning, although there are tentative hints of a more slowly spinning population at high (M>5*10^7Msun) and low (M<2*10^6Msun) mass. I also engage in a brief review of the spins of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries. In general, reflection-based and continuum-fitting based spin measures are in agreement, although there remain two objects (GROJ1655-40 and 4U1543-475) for which that is not true. I end this review by discussing the exciting frontier of relativistic reverberation, particularly the discovery of broad iron line reverberation in XMM-Newton data for the Seyfert galaxies NGC4151, NGC7314 and MCG-5-23-16. As well as confirming the basic paradigm of relativistic disk reflection, this detection of reverberation demonstrates that future large-area X-ray observatories such as LOFT will make tremendous progress in studies of strong gravity using relativistic reverberation in AGN.

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arXiv2013

Irradiation of an Accretion Disc by a Jet: General Properties and Implications for Spin Measurements of Black Holes

X-ray irradiation of the accretion disc leads to strong reflection features, which are then broadened and distorted by relativistic effects. We present a detailed, general relativistic approach to model this irradiation for different geometries of the primary X-ray source. These geometries include the standard point source on the rotational axis as well as more jet-like sources, which are radially elongated and accelerating. Incorporating this code in the relline model for relativistic line emission, the line shape for any configuration can be predicted. We study how different irradiation geometries affect the determination of the spin of the black hole. Broad emission lines are produced only for compact irradiating sources situated close to the black hole. This is the only case where the black hole spin can be unambiguously determined. In all other cases the line shape is narrower, which could either be explained by a low spin or an elongated source. We conclude that for all those cases and independent of the quality of the data, no unique solution for the spin exists and therefore only a lower limit of the spin value can be given.

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arXiv2013

Tackling the soft X-ray excess in AGN with variability studies

The origin of the soft X-ray excess in AGN has been a mystery ever since its discovery. We present how the time variability of this spectral component can point towards its origin. Using the powerful technique of multi-epoch fitting, we study how the soft excess in a given object depends on other parameters of the continuum and the accretion disk possibly hinting at its nature. As an example, we present results from this technique applied to the Seyfert galaxy Mrk 841. We study all (3) XMM and some of the Suzaku pointings available and find that the source displays an impressive variability in the soft X-ray band on the timescale of years. We study several common soft excess models and their ability to physically consistently explain this spectral variability. Mrk 841 is found to show a distinct variability pattern that can be best explained by the soft excess originating mostly from a thermal Comptonization component. The variability timescale can be constrained to be on the order of a few days.

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arXiv2013

The Ionized Absorber and Nuclear Environment of IRAS 13349+2438: Multi-wavelength insights from coordinated Chandra HETGS, HST STIS, HET, and Spitzer IRS

We present results from a coordinated IR-to-X-ray spectral campaign of the QSO IRAS 13349+2438. Optical spectra reveal extreme Eigenvector-1 characteristics, but the H-beta line width argues against a NLS1 classification; we refine z=0.10853 based on [O III]. We estimate a BH mass=10^9 Msun using 2 independent methods (H-beta line width & SED fits). Blue-shifted absorption (-950km/s & -75km/s) is seen for the 1st time in STIS UV spectra from Ly-alpha, NV, & CIV. The higher velocity UV lines are coincident with the lower-ionisation (xi~1.6) X-ray warm absorber lines. A dusty multiple ionization absorber blueshifted by 700-900km/s is required to fit the X-ray data. Theoretical models comparing different ionising SEDs reveal that a UV-inclusive (i.e., the accretion disc) ionising continuum strongly impacts conclusions for the thermodynamic stability of the warm absorber. Specific to IRAS13349, an Xray-UV ionising SED favors a continuous distribution of ionisation states in a smooth flow (this paper), versus discrete clouds in pressure equilibrium (work by others where UV is omitted). Direct dust detections are seen in both the IR: PAH emission at (7.7 & 11.3)micron which may also be blended with forsterite, and (10 & 18)micron silicate emission, and X-rays: iron dust with a dust-to-gas ratio > 90%. We develop a geometrical model whereby the QSO nuclear region is viewed through the upper atmosphere of an obscuring torus. This sight line is obscured by dust that blocks a direct view of the UV/optical emission region but is largely transparent in X-rays since the gas is ionised. In our model, 20% of the intrinsic UV/optical continuum is scattered into our sight line by the far wall of an obscuring torus. An additional 2.4% of the direct light, which likely dominates the UV emission, is Thomson-scattered into our line-of-sight by another off-plane component of highly ionized gas.

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arXiv2012

Prompt Emission from Tidal Disruptions of White Dwarfs by Intermediate Mass Black Holes

We present a qualitative picture of prompt emission from tidal disruptions of white dwarfs (WD) by intermediate mass black holes (IMBH). The smaller size of an IMBH compared to a supermassive black hole and a smaller tidal radius of a WD disruption lead to a very fast event with high peak luminosity. Magnetic field is generated in situ following the tidal disruption, which leads to effective accretion. Since large-scale magnetic field is also produced, geometrically thick super-Eddington inflow leads to a relativistic jet. The dense jet possesses a photosphere, which emits quasi-thermal radiation in soft X-rays. The source can be classified as a long low-luminosity gamma-ray burst (ll-GRB). Tidal compression of a WD causes nuclear ignition, which is observable as an accompanying supernova. We suggest that GRB060218 and SN2006aj is such a pair of ll-GRB and supernova. We argue that in a flux-limited sample the disruptions of WDs by IMBHs are more frequent then the disruptions of other stars by IMBHs.

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arXiv2012

Constraints on Compton-thick winds from black hole accretion disks: can we see the inner disk?

Strong evidence is emerging that winds can be driven from the central regions of accretion disks in both active galactic nuclei (AGN) and Galactic black hole binaries (GBHBs). Direct evidence for highly-ionized, Compton-thin inner-disk winds comes from observations of blueshifted (v~0.05-0.1c) iron-K X-ray absorption lines. However, it has been suggested that the inner regions of black hole accretion disks can also drive Compton-thick winds --- such winds would enshroud the inner disk, preventing us from seeing direct signatures of the accretion disk (i.e. the photospheric thermal emission, or the Doppler/gravitationally broadened iron K-alpha line). Here, we show that, provided the source is sub-Eddington, the well-established wind driving mechanisms fail to launch a Compton-thick wind from the inner disk. For the accelerated region of the wind to be Compton-thick, the momentum carried in the wind must exceed the available photon momentum by a factor of at least 2/lambda, where lambda is the Eddington ratio of the source, ruling out radiative acceleration unless the source is very close to the Eddington limit. Compton-thick winds also carry large mass-fluxes, and a consideration of the connections between the wind and the disk show this to be incompatible with magneto-centrifugal driving. Finally, thermal driving of the wind is ruled out on the basis of the large Compton-radii that typify black hole systems. In the absence of some new acceleration mechanism, we conclude that the inner regions of sub-Eddington accretion disks around black holes are indeed naked.

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arXiv2012

The Black Hole Spin and Soft X-ray Excess of the Luminous Seyfert Galaxy Fairall 9

We present an analysis of all XMM-Newton and Suzaku X-ray spectra of the nearby luminous Seyfert galaxy Fairall 9. Confirming previous analyses, we find robust evidence for a broad iron line associated with X-ray reflection from the innermost accretion disk. By fitting a spectral model that includes a relativistically ionized reflection component, we examine the constraints on the inclination of the inner accretion disk and the black hole spin, and the complications introduced by the presence of a photoionized emission line system. Employing multi-epoch fitting, we attempt to obtain robust and concordant measures of the accretion disk parameters. We also clearly see a soft X-ray excess in Fairall 9. During certain epochs, the soft excess can be described with same disk reflection component that produces the iron line. However, there are epochs where an additional soft component is required. This can be attributed to either an additional highly-ionized, strongly blurred disk reflection component, or a new X-ray continuum component.

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arXiv2012

General Relativistic Simulations of Magnetized Plasmas around Merging Supermassive Black Holes

Coalescing supermassive black hole binaries are produced by the mergers of galaxies and are the most powerful sources of gravitational waves accessible to space-based gravitational observatories. Some such mergers may occur in the presence of matter and magnetic fields and hence generate an electromagnetic counterpart. In this Letter, we present the first general relativistic simulations of magnetized plasma around merging supermassive black holes using the general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic code Whisky. By considering different magnetic field strengths, going from non-magnetically dominated to magnetically dominated regimes, we explore how magnetic fields affect the dynamics of the plasma and the possible emission of electromagnetic signals. In particular we observe a total amplification of the magnetic field of ~2 orders of magnitude which is driven by the accretion onto the binary and that leads to much stronger electromagnetic signals, more than a factor of 10^4 larger than comparable calculations done in the force-free regime where such amplifications are not possible.

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arXiv2012

The Central Engine Structure of 3C120: Evidence for a Retrograde Black Hole or a Refilling Accretion Disk

The broad-line radio galaxy 3C120 is a powerful source of both X-ray and radio emission including superluminal jet outflows. We report on our reanalysis of 160 ks of Suzaku data taken in 2006, previously examined by Kataoka et al. (2007). Spectral fits to the XIS and HXD/PIN data over a range of 0.7-45 keV reveal a well-defined iron K line complex with a narrow Ka core and relativistically broadened features consistent with emission from the inner regions of the accretion disk. Furthermore, the inner region of the disk appears to be truncated with an inner radius of r_in = 11.7^{+3.5}_{-5.2} r_g. If we assume that fluorescent iron line features terminate at the inner-most stable circular orbit (ISCO), we measure a black hole spin of a < -0.1 at a 90% confidence level. A rapidly spinning prograde black hole (a > 0.8) can be ruled out at the 99% confidence level. Alternatively, the disk may be truncated well outside of the ISCO of a rapid prograde hole. The most compelling scenario is the possibility that the inner regions of the disk were destroyed/ejected by catastrophic instabilities just prior to the time these observations were made.

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arXiv2012

X-ray dips in the Seyfert Galaxy Fairall 9: Compton-thick "comets" or a failed radio galaxy?

We investigate the spectral variability of the Seyfert galaxy Fairall 9 using almost 6 years of monitoring with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) with an approximate time resolution of 4 days. We discover the existence of pronounced and sharp dips in the X-ray flux, with a rapid decline of the 2--20 keV flux of a factor 2 or more followed by a recovery to pre-dip fluxes after ~10 days . These dips skew the flux distribution away from the commonly observed log-normal distribution. Dips may result from the eclipse of the central X-ray source by broad line region (BLR) clouds, as has recently been found in NGC 1365 and Mrk 766. Unlike these other examples, however, the clouds in Fairall 9 would need to be Compton-thick, and the non-dip state is remarkably free of any absorption features. A particularly intriguing alternative is that the accretion disk is undergoing the same cycle of disruption/ejection as seen in the accretion disks of broad line radio galaxies (BLRGs) such as 3C120 but, for some reason, fails to create a relativistic jet. This suggests that a detailed comparison of Fairall 9 and 3C120 with future high-quality data may hold the key to understanding the formation of relativistic jets in AGN.

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arXiv2012

Buoyancy Instabilities in a Weakly Collisional Intracluster Medium

The intracluster medium of galaxy clusters is a weakly collisional, high-beta plasma in which the transport of heat and momentum occurs primarily along magnetic-field lines. Anisotropic heat conduction allows convective instabilities to be driven by temperature gradients of either sign, the magnetothermal instability (MTI) in the outskirts of non-isothermal clusters and the heat-flux buoyancy-driven instability (HBI) in their cooling cores. We employ the Athena MHD code to investigate the nonlinear evolution of these instabilities, self-consistently including the effects of anisotropic viscosity (i.e. Braginskii pressure anisotropy), anisotropic conduction, and radiative cooling. We highlight the importance of the microscale instabilities that inevitably accompany and regulate the pressure anisotropies generated by the HBI and MTI. We find that, in all but the innermost regions of cool-core clusters, anisotropic viscosity significantly impairs the ability of the HBI to reorient magnetic-field lines orthogonal to the temperature gradient. Thus, while radio-mode feedback appears necessary in the central few tens of kpc, conduction may be capable of offsetting radiative losses throughout most of a cool core over a significant fraction of the Hubble time. Magnetically-aligned cold filaments are then able to form by local thermal instability. Viscous dissipation during the formation of a cold filament produces accompanying hot filaments, which can be searched for in deep Chandra observations of nearby cool-core clusters. In the case of the MTI, anisotropic viscosity maintains the coherence of magnetic-field lines over larger distances than in the inviscid case, providing a natural lower limit for the scale on which the field can fluctuate freely. In the nonlinear state, the magnetic field exhibits a folded structure in which the field-line curvature and field strength are anti-correlated.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2011

A Chandra Study of the Radio Galaxy NGC 326: Wings, Outburst History, and AGN Feedback

NGC 326 is one of the most prominent X- or Z-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs/ZRGs) and has been the subject of several studies attempting to explain its morphology through either fluid motions or reorientation of the jet axis. We examine a 100 ks archival Chandra exposure and find several features associated with the radio galaxy: a high-temperature front that may indicate a shock, high-temperature knots around the rim of the radio emission, and a cavity associated with the eastern wing of the radio galaxy. A reasonable interpretation of these features in light of the radio data allows us to reconstruct the history of the AGN outbursts. The active outburst was likely once a powerful radio source which has since decayed, and circumstantial evidence favors reorientation as the means to produce the wings. Because of the obvious interaction between the radio galaxy and the ICM and the wide separation between the active lobes and wings, we conclude that XRGs are excellent sources in which to study AGN feedback in galaxy groups by measuring the heating rates associated with both active and passive heating mechanisms.

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arXiv2011

Fermi/LAT Observations of Swift/BAT Seyferts: on the Contribution of Radio-quiet AGN to the Extragalactic Gamma-ray Background

We present the analysis of 2.1 years of Fermi/LAT data on 491 Seyfert galaxies detected by the Swift/BAT survey. Only the two nearest objects, NGC 1068 and NGC 4945, which were identified in the Fermi First-year Catalog, are detected. Using the Swift/BAT and radio 20 cm fluxes, we define a new radio-loudness parameter $R_{X, BAT}$ where radio loud objects have $\log R_{X, BAT} > - 4.7$. Based on this parameter, only radio loud sources are detected by Fermi/LAT. An upper limit to the flux of the undetected sources is derived to be $\sim 2 \times 10^{-11}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, approximately seven times lower than the observed flux of NGC 1068. Assuming a median redshift of 0.031, this implies an upper limit to the $γ$-ray (1--100 GeV) luminosity of $\lesssim 3 \times 10^{41}$ erg s$^{-1}$. In addition, we identified 120 new Fermi/LAT sources near the Swift/BAT Seyferts with significant Fermi/LAT detections. A majority of these objects do not have \bat counterparts, but their possible optical counterparts include blazars, FSRQs, and quasars.

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