arXiv subjects

Richard F. Mushotzky

Publications and source records attributed to Richard F. Mushotzky.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2010

The Lack of Diffuse, Nonthermal Hard X-ray Emission in the Coma Cluster: The Swift BAT's Eye View

The Coma cluster of galaxies hosts the brightest radio halo known and has therefore been the target of numerous searches for associated inverse Compton (IC) emission, particularly at hard X-ray energies where the IC signal must eventually dominate over thermal emission. The most recent search with the Suzaku Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) failed to confirm previous IC detections with RXTE and BeppoSAX, instead setting an upper limit 2.5 times below their nonthermal flux. However, this discrepancy can be resolved if the IC emission is very extended, beyond the scale of the cluster radio halo. Using reconstructed sky images from the 58-month Swift BAT all sky survey, the feasibility of such a solution is investigated. Building on Renaud et al., we test and implement a method for extracting the fluxes of extended sources, assuming specified spatial distributions. BAT spectra are jointly fit with an XMM-Newton EPIC-pn spectrum derived from mosaic observations. We find no evidence for large-scale IC emission at the level expected from the previously detected nonthermal fluxes. For all nonthermal spatial distributions considered, which span the gamut of physically reasonable IC models, we determine upper limits for which the largest (most conservative) limit is <4.2x10^{-12} erg/s/cm^2 (20-80 keV), which corresponds to a lower limit on the magnetic field B>0.2uG. A nominal flux upper limit of <2.7x10^{-12} erg/s/cm^2, with corresponding B>0.25uG, is derived for the most probable IC distribution given the size of the radio halo and likely magnetic field radial profile.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2010

Suzaku Observation of the Brightest Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 4C 50.55 (IGR J 21247+5058)

We report the results from a deep Suzaku observation of 4C 50.55 (IGR J 21247+5058), the brightest broad-line radio galaxy in the hard X-ray (> 10 keV) sky. The simultaneous broad band spectra over 1-60 keV can be represented by a cut-off power law with two layers of absorption and a significant reflection component from cold matter with a solid angle of Ω/2π\approx 0.2. A rapid flux rise by ~ 20% over 2 \times 10^4 sec is detected in the 2-10 keV band. The spectral energy distribution suggests that there is little contribution to the total X-ray emission from jets. Applying a thermal Comptonization model, we find that corona is optically thick (τ_e \approx 3) and has a relatively low temperature (kT_e \approx 30 keV). The narrow iron-K emission line is consistent with a picture where the standard disk is truncated and/or its inner part is covered by optically thick Comptonizing corona smearing out relativistic broad line features. The inferred disk structure may be a common feature of accretion flows onto black holes that produce powerful jets.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2010

Detecting Star Formation in Brightest Cluster Galaxies with GALEX

We present the results of GALEX observations of 17 cool core (CC) clusters of galaxies. We show that GALEX is easily capable of detecting star formation in brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) out to $z\ge 0.45$ and 50-100 kpc. In most of the CC clusters studied, we find significant UV luminosity excesses and colors that strongly suggest recent and/or current star formation. The BCGs are found to have blue UV colors in the center that become increasingly redder with radius, indicating that the UV signature of star formation is most easily detected in the central regions. Our findings show good agreement between UV star formation rates and estimates based on H$α$ observations. IR observations coupled with our data indicate moderate-to-high dust attenuation. Comparisons between our UV results and the X-ray properties of our sample suggest clear correlations between UV excess, cluster entropy, and central cooling time, confirming that the star formation is directly and incontrovertibly related to the cooling gas.

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arXiv2009

Optical Spectral Properties of Swift BAT Hard X-ray Selected Active Galactic Nuclei Sources

The Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) survey of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) is providing an unprecedented view of local AGNs ( = 0.03) and their host galaxy properties. In this paper, we present an analysis of the optical spectra of a sample of 64 AGNs from the 9-month survey, detected solely based on their 14-195 keV flux. Our analysis includes both archived spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and our own observations from the 2.1-m Kitt Peak National Observatory telescope. Among our results, we include line ratio classifications utilizing standard emission line diagnostic plots, [O III] 5007 A luminosities, and H-beta derived black hole masses. As in our X-ray study, we find the type 2 sources to be less luminous (in [O III] 5007 A and 14-195 keV luminosities) with lower accretion rates than the type 1 sources. We find that the optically classified LINERs, H II/composite galaxies, and ambiguous sources have the lowest luminosities, while both broad line and narrow line Seyferts have similar luminosities. From a comparison of the hard X-ray (14-195 keV) and [O III] luminosities, we find that both the observed and extinction-corrected [O III] luminosities are weakly correlated with X-ray luminosity. In a study of the host galaxy properties from both continuum fits and measurements of the stellar absorption indices, we find that the hosts of the narrow line sources have properties consistent with late type galaxies.

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arXiv2009

Evidence for an Intermediate Mass Black Hole in NGC 5408 X-1

We report the discovery with XMM-Newton of correlated spectral and timing behavior in the ultraluminous X-ray source (ULX) NGC 5408 X-1. An ~100 ksec pointing with XMM/Newton obtained in January, 2008 reveals a strong 10 mHz QPO in the > 1 keV flux, as well as flat-topped, band limited noise breaking to a power law. The energy spectrum is again dominated by two components, a 0.16 keV thermal disk and a power-law with an index of ~2.5. These new measurements, combined with results from our previous January 2006 pointing in which we first detected QPOs, show for the first time in a ULX a pattern of spectral and temporal correlations strongly analogous to that seen in Galactic black hole sources, but at much higher X-ray luminosity and longer characteristic time-scales. We find that the QPO frequency is proportional to the inferred disk flux, while the QPO and broad-band noise amplitude (root mean squared, rms) are inversely proportional to the disk flux. Assuming that QPO frequency scales inversely with black hole mass at a given power-law spectral index we derive mass estimates using the observed QPO frequency - spectral index relations from five stellar-mass black hole systems with dynamical mass constraints. The results from all sources are consistent with a mass range for NGC 5408 X-1 from 1000 - 9000 solar masses. Moreover, the recent relation from Gierlinski et al. that relates black hole mass to the strength of variability at high frequencies (above the break in the power spectrum) is also indicative of such a high mass for NGC 5408 X-1. We argue that these new findings strongly support the conclusion that NGC 5408 X-1 harbors an intermediate mass black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Tracing Star Formation in Cool Core Clusters with GALEX

We present recent results from a GALEX investigation of star formation in 16 cooling core clusters of galaxies, selected to span a broad range in both redshift and central cooling time. Initial results demonstrate clear UV excesses in most, but not all, brightest cluster galaxies in our sample. This UV excess is a direct indication of the presence of young massive stars and, therefore, recent star formation. We report on the physical extent of UV emission in these objects as well as their FUV-NUV colors, and compare GALEX inferred star formation rates to central cooling times, H-alpha and IR luminosities for our sample.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2009

Suzaku Observations of Abell 1795: Cluster Emission to R_200

We report Suzaku observations of the galaxy cluster Abell 1795 that extend to r_200 ~ 2 Mpc, the radius within which the mean cluster mass density is 200 times the cosmic critical density. These observations are the first to probe the state of the intracluster medium in this object at r > 1.3 Mpc. We sample two disjoint sectors in the cluster outskirts (1.3 < r < 1.9 Mpc) and detect X-ray emission in only one of them to a limiting (3-sigma) soft X-ray surface brightness of B(0.5-2 keV) = 1.8 x 10^-12 erg s^-1 cm^-2 deg^-2, a level less than 20% of the cosmic X-ray background brightness. We trace the run of temperature with radius at r > 0.4 Mpc and find that it falls relatively rapidly (T ~ r^-0.9), reaching a value about one third of its peak at the largest radius we can measure it. Assuming the intracluster medium is in hydrostatic equilibrium and is polytropic, we find a polytropic index of 1.3 +0.3-0.2 and we estimate a mass of 4.1 +0.5-0.3 x 10^14 M_solar within 1.3 Mpc, somewhat (2.7-sigma) lower than that reported by previous observers. However, our observations provide evidence for departure from hydrostatic equilibrium at radii as small as r ~ 1.3 Mpc ~ r_500 in this apparently regular and symmetrical cluster.

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arXiv2008

On Active Galactic Nuclei as Sources of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays

We measure the correlation between sky coordinates of the Swift BAT catalogue of active galactic nuclei with the arrival directions of the highest energy cosmic rays detected by the Auger Observatory. The statistically complete, hard X-ray catalogue helps to distinguish between AGN and other source candidates that follow the distribution of local large-scale structure. The positions of the full catalogue are marginally uncorrelated with the cosmic ray arrival directions, but when weighted by their hard X-ray flux, AGN within 100 Mpc are correlated at a significance level of 98 per cent. This correlation sharply decreases for sources beyond ~100 Mpc, suggestive of a GZK suppression. We discuss the implications for determining the mechanism that accelerates particles to these extreme energies in excess of 10^19 eV.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2008

OMCat: Catalogue of Serendipitous Sources Detected with the XMM-Newton Optical Monitor

The Optical Monitor Catalogue of serendipitous sources (OMCat) contains entries for every source detected in the publicly available XMM-Newton Optical Monitor (OM) images taken in either the imaging or ``fast'' modes. Since the OM is coaligned and records data simultaneously with the X-ray telescopes on XMM-Newton, it typically produces images in one or more near-UV/optical bands for every pointing of the observatory. As of the beginning of 2006, the public archive had covered roughly 0.5% of the sky in 2950 fields. The OMCat is not dominated by sources previously undetected at other wavelengths; the bulk of objects have optical counterparts. However, the OMCat can be used to extend optical or X-ray spectral energy distributions for known objects into the ultraviolet, to study at higher angular resolution objects detected with GALEX, or to find high-Galactic-latitude objects of interest for UV spectroscopy.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

X-ray properties of an Unbiased Hard X-ray Detected Sample of AGN

The SWIFT gamma ray observatory's Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) has detected a sample of active galactic nuclei (AGN) based solely on their hard X-ray flux (14-195 keV). In this paper, we present for the first time {\it XMM-Newton} X-ray spectra for 22 BAT AGNs with no previously analyzed X-ray spectra. If our sources are a representative sample of the BAT AGN, as we claim, our results present for the first time global X-ray properties of an unbiased towards absorption (n$_H < 3 \times 10^{25}$ cm$^{-2}$), local ($ = 0.03$), AGN sample. We find 9/22 low absorption (n$_H < 10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$), simple power law model sources, where 4 of these sources have a statistically significant soft component. Among these sources, we find the presence of a warm absorber statistically significant for only one Seyfert 1 source, contrasting with the ASCA results of \citet{rey97} and \citet{geo98}, who find signatures of warm absorption in half or more of their Seyfert 1 samples at similar redshifts. Additionally, the remaining sources (14/22) have more complex spectra, well-fit by an absorbed power law at $E > 2.0$ keV. Five of the complex sources are classified as Compton-thick candidates. Further, we find four more sources with properties consistent with the hidden/buried AGN reported by Ueda {\it et al.} (2007). Finally, we include a comparison of the {\it XMM-Newton} EPIC spectra with available SWIFT X-ray Telescope (XRT) observations. From these comparisons, we find 6/16 sources with varying column densities, 6/16 sources with varying power law indices, and 13/16 sources with varying fluxes, over periods of hours to months. Flux and power law index are correlated for objects where both parameters vary.

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arXiv2007

Quasi-Periodic Variability in NGC 5408 X-1

We report the discovery with XMM-Newton of quasiperiodic variability in the 0.2 - 10 keV X-ray flux from the ultraluminous X-ray source NGC 5408 X-1. The average power spectrum of all EPIC-pn data reveals a strong 20 mHz QPO with an average amplitude (rms) of 9%, and a coherence of Q~6. In a 33 ksec time interval when the 20 mHz QPO is strongest we also find evidence for a 2nd QPO peak at 15 mHz. This is the first indication for a close pair of QPOs in a ULX source. Interestingly, the frequency ratio of this QPO pair is inconsistent with 3:2 at the 3sigma level, but is consistent with a 4:3 ratio. A powerlaw noise component with slope near 1.5 is also present below 0.1 Hz with evidence for a break to a flatter slope at about 3 mHz. The source shows substantial broadband variability, with a total amplitude (rms) of about 30% in the 0.1 - 100 mHz frequency band, and there is strong energy dependence to the variability. We discuss the implications of these findings in the context of models for ULXs, and their implications for the object's mass.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Probing the Disk-jet Connection of the Radio Galaxy 3C120 Observed with Suzaku

Broad line radio galaxies (BLRGs) are a rare type of radio-loud AGN, in which the broad optical permitted emission lines have been detected in addition to the extended jet emission. Here we report on deep (40ksec x4) observations of the bright BLRG 3C~120 using Suzaku. The observations were spaced a week apart, and sample a range of continuum fluxes. An excellent broadband spectrum was obtained over two decades of frequency (0.6 to 50 keV) within each 40 ksec exposure. We clearly resolved the iron K emission line complex, finding that it consists of a narrow K_a core (sigma ~ 110 eV or an EW of 60 eV), a 6.9 keV line, and an underlying broad iron line. Our confirmation of the broad line contrasts with the XMM-Newton observation in 2003, where the broad line was not required. The most natural interpretation of the broad line is iron K line emission from a face-on accretion disk which is truncated at ~10 r_g. Above 10 keV, a relatively weak Compton hump was detected (reflection fraction of R ~ 0.6), superposed on the primary X-ray continuum of Gamma ~ 1.75. Thanks to the good photon statistics and low background of the Suzaku data, we clearly confirm the spectral evolution of 3C120, whereby the variability amplitude decreases with increasing energy. More strikingly, we discovered that the variability is caused by a steep power-law component of Gamma ~2.7, possibly related to the non-thermal jet emission. We discuss our findings in the context of similarities and differences between radio-loud/quiet objects.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Elemental Abundances of Nearby Galaxies through High Signal-to-Noise XMM-Newton Observations of ULXs

(abridged) In this paper, we examined XMM Newton EPIC spectra of 14 ultra-luminous X-ray sources (ULXs)in addition to the XMM RGS spectra of two sources (Holmberg II X-1 and Holmberg IX X-1). We determined oxygen and iron abundances of the host galaxy's interstellar medium (ISM) using K-shell (O) and L-shell (Fe) X-ray photo-ionization edges towards these ULXs. We found that the oxygen abundances closely matched recent solar abundances for all of our sources, implying that ULXs live in similar local environments despite the wide range of galaxy host properties. Also, we compare the X-ray hydrogen column densities (n_H) for 8 ULX sources with column densities obtained from radio H I observations. The X-ray model n_H values are in good agreement with the H I n_H values, implying that the hydrogen absorption towards the ULXs is not local to the source (with the exception of the source M81 XMM1). In order to obtain the column density and abundance values, we fit the X-ray spectra of the ULXs with a combined power law and one of several accretion disk models. We tested the abundances obtained from the XSPEC models bbody, diskbb, grad, and diskpn along with a power law, finding that the abundances were independent of the thermal model used. We comment on the physical implications of these different model fits. We also note that very deep observations allow a breaking of the degeneracy noted by Stobbart et al. (2006) favoring a high mass solution for the absorbed grad + power law model.

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arXiv2005

Oxygen and Iron Abundances in Nearby Galaxies Using Ultraluminous X-ray Sources

We determined oxygen and iron abundances of the interstellar medium (ISM) using K-shell (O) and L-shell (Fe) X-ray photo-ionization edges towards Ultra luminous X-ray sources (ULXs). We determine the hydrogen column densities (n_H) towards the ULXs from XMM-Newton archival spectra of 14 ULX sources. We compare our X-ray values with those obtained from radio HI observations for 8 of the sources. The X-ray model n_H values are in good agreement with the HI n_H values, implying that the hydrogen absorption towards the ULX is not local to the source, with the exception of M81 X-1. Oxygen abundances and iron abundances are roughly solar for the host galaxies.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Oxygen Abundances in the Milky Way Using X-ray Absorption Measurements Towards Galaxy Clusters

We present measurements of the oxygen abundance of the Milky Way's ISM by observing the K-shell X-ray photoionization edge towards galaxy clusters. This effect is most easily observed towards objects with galactic columns (n_H) of a few times 1e21 cm^-2. We measure X-ray column densities towards 11 clusters and find that at high galactic columns above approximately 1e21 cm^-2 the X-ray columns are generally 1.5--3.0 times greater than the 21 cm H II columns, indicating that molecular clouds become an important contributor to n_H at higher columns. We find the average ISM oxygen abundance to be (O/H) = (4.85 +/- 0.06) x 10^-4, or 0.99 solar when using the most recent solar photospheric values. Since X-ray observations are sensitive to the total amount of oxygen present (gas + dust), these results indicate a high gas to dust ratio. Also, the oxygen abundances along lines of sight through high galactic columns (n_H) are the same as abundances through low columns, suggesting that the composition of denser clouds is similar to that of the more diffuse ISM.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

A Simultaneous RXTE and XMM-Newton Observation of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 111

We present the results of simultaneous XMM-Newton and RXTE observations of the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 111. We find that the Compton reflection bump is extremely weak, however, broad residuals are clearly present in the spectrum near the Fe Kalpha emission line region. When fitted with a Gaussian emission line,the feature has an equivalent width of 40-100eV and full-width at half maximum of greater than 20,000 km/s, however the exact properties of this weak line are highly dependent upon the chosen continuum model. The width of the line suggests an origin in the inner accretion disk, which is, however, inconsistent with the lack of Compton reflection. We find that much of the broad residual emission can be attributed to continuum curvature. The data are consistent with a model in which the primary powerlaw continuum is reprocessed by an accretion disk which is truncated as small radii. Alternatively, the primary source could be partially covered by a dense absorber. The latter model is less attractive than the former because of the small inclination angle of the jet of 3C 111 to the line of sight. We consider it likely that the curved continuum of the partial covering model is fortuitously similar to the continuum shape of the reprocessing model. In both models, the fit is greatly improved by the addition of an unresolved Fe K alpha emission line, which could arise either in a Compton-thin obscuring torus or dense clouds lying along the line of sight. We also find that there are unacceptable residuals at low energies in the MOS data in particular, which were modeled as a Gaussian with an energy of ~1.5 keV; we attribute these residuals to calibration uncertainties of the MOS detectors.

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arXiv2004

Radio Detections of Ultraluminous X-ray Sources

We present some results from an archival VLA study of ultraluminous X-ray source s (ULXs). These unresolved non-nuclear X-ray sources have luminosities (L_X >= 1 0^39 ergs/sec) which may require somewhat exotic explanations, such as intermedi ate mass black holes or super-Eddington accretion. Radio emission is a powerful way to investigate such sources, through radio morphology and the implications m ade by source energy and lifetimes derived from the radio. The three galaxies we present here suggest that no single model explains all ULXs, yet there is growi ng evidence that some ULXs are powered by intermediate mass black holes.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

XMM Observations of an IXO in NGC 2276

We present the results from a ~53 ksec XMM observation of NGC 2276. This galaxy has an unusual optical morphology with the disk of this spiral appearing to be truncated along the western edge. This XMM observation shows that the X-ray source at the western edge is a bright Intermediate X-ray Object (IXO). Its spectrum is well fit by a multi-color disk blackbody model used to fit optically thick standard accretion disks around black holes. The luminosity derived for this IXO is 1.1x10^41 erg/s in the 0.5 - 10 keV band making it one of the most luminous discovered to date. The large source luminosity implies a large mass black hole if the source is radiating at the Eddington rate. On the other hand, the inner disk temperature determined here is too high for such a massive object given the standard accretion disk model. In addition to the IXO we find that the nuclear source in this galaxy has dimmed by at least a factor of several thousand in the eight years since the ROSAT HRI observations.

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