arXiv subjects

Sachindra Naik

Publications and source records attributed to Sachindra Naik.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

The accretion properties of a low-mass Active Galactic Nucleus: UGC 6728

We present a comprehensive analysis of approximately $15$ years ($2006-2021$) of X-ray observations of UGC~6728, a low-mass bare AGN, for the first time. Our study encompasses both spectral and temporal aspects of this source. The spectral properties of this source are studied using various phenomenological and physical models. We conclude that (a) the observed variability in X-ray luminosity is not attributed to the Hydrogen column density ($N_H$) as UGC~6728 exhibits a bare nucleus, implying a negligible $N_H$ contribution along the line of sight, and (b) the spectral slope in the X-ray band demonstrates a systematic variation over time, indicating a transition from a relatively hard state to a comparatively soft state. We propose that the underlying accretion dynamics around the central object account for this behavior. By performing X-ray spectral fitting, we estimate the mass of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) in UGC~6728 to be $M_{BH}=(7.13\pm1.23)\times10^5$ M$_\odot$ with spin $a=0.97^{+0.20}_{-0.27}$ and inclination angle $i=49.5\pm14.5$ degree. Based on our spectral and temporal analysis, we suggest that UGC~6728 lacks a prominent Compton hump or exhibits a very subtle hump that remains undetectable in our analysis. Furthermore, the high-energy X-ray photons in this source are likely to originate from the low-energy X-ray photons through inverse Compton scattering in a Compton cloud, highlighting a connection between the emission in two energy ranges. We notice a strong soft excess component in the initial part of our observations, which later reduced substantially. This variation of soft excess is explained in view of accretion dynamics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Spectral Properties of GX~339--4 in the Intermediate State Using AstroSat Observation

We present the results obtained from the spectral studies of black hole X-ray binary GX~339--4 using \astrosat~ observations during its 2021 outburst. \astrosat~ observed the source in the intermediate state for $\sim600$ ks. The combined spectra of SXT and LAXPC in the $0.7-25$ keV energy range are studied with phenomenological and physical models. The spectral study reveals a receding disc and a contracting corona during the observation period. The outflow rate is found to be increased though the accretion rates did not vary during the observation period. The X-ray flux decreases as the disc recedes and the spectrum becomes hard. At the same time, the Comptonized flux decreases with increasing fraction of thermal emission. This could be plausible that episodic jet ejection modified the corona and reduced Comptonized flux. An iron emission line at 6.4 keV is observed in the spectra of all the orbits of observation. We find that the equivalent width of the iron emission line correlates with the photon index, indicating a decrease in the reflection strength as the spectrum becomes hard. We observe that the disc flux does not follow $F_{\rm DBB}-T^{4}$ relation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Evolution of low frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in GX 339-4 during its 2021 outburst using AstroSat data

The black hole X-ray binary GX\,339-4 showed an X-ray outburst during 2021. The {\it AstroSat} captured this outburst when the source entered into the intermediate flux state while the count rate was declining. The source showed an alternating flux profile in a timescale of $\lesssim$100 ks, where the hard energy band was more variable than the soft band. The energy-dependent timing study showed that the observed quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) was prominent in the low energy bands, with its nearly sub-harmonic and harmonic components. These components appear and disappear with time, as observed in the orbit-wise QPO study. The Q-value, fractional rms, and 4.8-5.6 Hz frequency infer the QPOs as type-B and the spectral state as soft intermediate. The rms spectra of all orbits exhibiting QPOs show an increase in amplitude till $\sim$ 10 keV, beyond which it starts decreasing. This may indicate that $\sim$ 10 keV photons contributed relatively more in QPOs than other energy band photons. The Lorentzian normalization of the type-B QPO in different energy bands is consistent with the 10 keV peak. The energy-dependent time lag is complex and could be associated with the Comptonizing corona or jet. Finally, we discuss possible reasons behind the origin of different timing properties observed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Survey of Bare Active Galactic Nuclei in the local universe (z < 0.2): I. On the origin of Soft-Excess

We analyse a sample of 21 `bare' Seyfert~1 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), a sub-class of Seyfert~1s, with intrinsic absorption $\mathrm{N_{H}} \sim 10^{20}~ \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$, in the local universe (z $<$ 0.2) using {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it Swift}/XRT observations. The luminosities of the primary continuum, the X-ray emission in the 3 to 10 keV energy range and the soft-excess, the excess emission that appears above the low-energy extrapolation of the power-law fit of 3 to 10 keV X-ray spectra, are calculated. Our spectral analysis reveals that the long-term intrinsic luminosities of the soft-excess and the primary continuum are tightly correlated $(L_{PC}\propto L_{SE}^{1.1\pm0.04})$. We also found that the luminosities are correlated for each source. This result suggests that both the primary continuum and soft excess emissions exhibit a dependency on the accretion rate in a similar way.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

Coronal Properties of Low-Accreting AGNs using Swift, XMM-Newton and NuSTAR Observations

We studied the broadband X-ray spectra of {\it Swift}/BAT selected low-accreting AGNs using the observations from {\it XMM-Newton}, {\it Swift}, and {\it NuSTAR} in the energy range of $0.5-150$~keV. Our sample consists of 30 AGNs with Eddington ratio, $λ_{\rm Edd}<10^{-3}$. We extracted several coronal parameters from the spectral modelling, such as the photon index, hot electron plasma temperature, cutoff energy, and optical depth. We tested whether there exists any correlation/anti-correlation among different spectral parameters. We observe that the relation of hot electron temperature with the cutoff energy in the low accretion domain is similar to what is observed in the high accretion domain. We did not observe any correlation between the Eddington ratio and the photon index. We studied the compactness-temperature diagram and found that the cooling process for extremely low-accreting AGNs is complex. The jet luminosity is calculated from the radio flux, and observed to be related to the bolometric luminosity as $L_{\rm jet} \propto L_{\rm bol}^{0.7}$, which is consistent with the standard radio-X-ray correlation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2023

Investigation of a small X-ray flaring event in NLS1 galaxy NGC 4051

We performed a detailed broadband spectral and timing analysis of a small flaring event of ~120 ks in a narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4051 using simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations. The ~300 ks long NuSTAR observation and the overlapping XMM-Newton exposure were segregated into pre-flare, flare, and post-flare segments. During the flare, the NuSTAR count rate peaked at 2.5 times the mean count rate before the flare. Using various physical and phenomenological models, we examined the 0.3-50 keV X-ray spectrum, which consists of a primary continuum, reprocessed emission, warm absorber and ultra-fast outflows in different timescales. The mass of the central black hole is estimated to be >1.32*10^5 solar mass from the spectral analysis. The absence of correlation between flux in 6-7 keV and 10-50 keV bands suggests different origins of the iron emission line and the Compton hump. From the spectral analysis, we found that the reflection fraction drops significantly during the flare, accompanied by an increase in the coronal height above the disc. The spectrum became soft during the flare supporting the "softer when brighter" nature of the source. After the alleviation of the flare, the coronal height drops and the corona heats up. This indicates that there could be inflation of the corona during the flare. We found no significant change in the inner accretion disc or the seed photon temperature. These results suggest that the flaring event occurred due to the change in the coronal properties rather than any notable change in the accretion disc.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Optical and X-ray studies of Be/X-ray binary 1A 0535+262 during its 2020 giant outburst

We report results obtained from the optical and X-ray studies of the Be/X-ray binary 1A 0535+262/HD 245770 during the 2020 October giant X-ray outburst, using the 1.2 m telescope at Mount Abu Infrared observatory and AstroSat, respectively. The peak flux of the outburst was recorded to be around 11 Crab in the 15-50 keV range, the highest ever observed from the pulsar. We performed optical observations in the 6000-7200 angstroms band before, during, and after the outburst to investigate the evolution of the circumstellar disc of the Be star between 2020 February and 2022 February. Our optical spectra exhibit prominent emission lines at 6563 angstroms (H I), 6678 angstroms (He I), and 7065 angstroms (He I). We found a significantly variable Halpha line in the spectra. The single-peaked line profile appeared asymmetric with broad red- & blue-wings in the data before and during the outburst. The post-outburst observations, however, resulted in a double-peaked profile with asymmetry in the blue-wing. Our observations before the outburst confirmed a larger Be disc that decreased in size as the outburst progressed. Furthermore, the observed variabilities in the Halpha line profile and parameters suggest the presence of a highly misaligned, precessing, and warped Be disc. AstroSat observation of the pulsar detected pulsations at around 103.55 s in the light curve up to 110 keV. We found strongly energy-dependent pulse profiles with increasing contribution of the pulsing component in hard X-rays. The broadband spectral fitting in the 0.7-90.0 keV range confirmed the presence of the known cyclotron resonance scattering feature at around 46.3 keV.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Swift and XMM-Newton observations of an RS CVn type eclipsing binary SZ Psc: Superflare and coronal properties

We present an in-depth study of a large and long duration ($>$1.3 days) X-ray flare observed on an RS CVn type eclipsing binary system SZ Psc using observations from Swift observatory. In the 0.35$-$10 keV energy band, the peak luminosity is estimated to be 4.2$\times$10$^{33}$ erg s$^{-1}$. The quiescent corona of SZ Psc was observed $\sim$5.67 d after the flare using Swift observatory, and also $\sim$1.4 yr after the flare using the XMM-Newton satellite. The quiescent corona is found to consist of three temperature plasma: 4, 13, and 48 MK. High-resolution X-ray spectral analysis of the quiescent corona of SZ Psc suggests that the high first ionization potential (FIP) elements are more abundant than the low-FIP elements. The time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy of the flare shows a significant variation in the flare temperature, emission measure, and abundance. The peak values of temperature, emission measure, and abundances during the flare are estimated to be 199$\pm$11 MK, 2.13$\pm$0.05 $\times 10^{56}$ cm$^{-3}$, 0.66$\pm$0.09 Z$_{\odot}$, respectively. Using the hydrodynamic loop modeling, we derive the loop length of the flare as 6.3$\pm$0.5 $\times 10^{11}$ cm, whereas the loop pressure and density at the flare peak are derived to be 3.5$\pm$0.7 $\times 10^{3}$ dyne cm$^{-2}$ and 8$\pm$2 $\times 10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$, respectively. The total magnetic field to produce the flare is estimated to be 490$\pm$60 G. The large magnetic field at the coronal height is supposed to be due to the presence of an extended convection zone of the sub-giant and the high orbital velocity.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Broadband X-ray Spectroscopy and Estimation of Spin of the Galactic Black Hole Candidate GRS 1758-258

We present the results of a broadband (0.5-78 keV) X-ray spectral study of the persistent Galactic black hole X-ray binary GRS 1758-258 observed simultaneously by Swift and NuSTAR. Fitting with an absorbed power-law model revealed a broad Fe line and reflection hump in the spectrum. We used different flavours of the relativistic reflection model for the spectral analysis. All models indicate the spin of the black hole in GRS 1758-258 is >0.92. The source was in the low hard state during the observation, with the hot electron temperature of the corona estimated to be kT$_e$ ~ 140 keV. The black hole is found to be accreting at ~1.5 % of the Eddington limit during the observation, assuming the black hole mass of 10 $M_{\odot}$ and distance of 8 kpc.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Absorption Variability of the Highly Obscured Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 4507

We present a detailed study of the highly obscured active galaxy NGC 4507, performed using four Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observations carried out between May and August in 2015 (~ 130 ks in total). Using various phenomenological and physically motivated torus models, we explore the properties of the X-ray source and those of the obscuring material. The primary X-ray emission is found to be non-variable, indicating a stable accretion during the period of the observations. We find the equatorial column density of the obscuring materials to be ~ 2 x 10^24 cm^-2 while the line of sight column density to be ~ 7 - 8 x 10^23 cm^-22. The source is found to be deeply buried with the torus covering factor ~ 0.85. We observe variability in the line-of-sight column density on a timescale of < 35 days. The covering factor of the Compton-Thick material is found to be ~ 0.35, in agreement with the results of recent X-ray surveys. From the variability of the line-of-sight column density, we estimate that the variable absorbing material is likely located either in the BLR or in the torus.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

AstroSat Observation of X-ray Dips and State Transition in the Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1803-298

We present the results obtained from broadband X-ray timing and spectral analysis of black hole candidate MAXI J1803-298 using an AstroSat observation on May 11-12, 2021. Four periodic absorption dips with a periodicity of $7.02 \pm 0.18$ hour are detected in the light curve. AstroSat observe the source when it was undergoing a transition from hard-intermediate state to soft-intermediate state. Our timing analysis reveals the presence of a sharp type-C quasi periodic oscillation (QPO) in the power density spectra (PDS) with an evolving QPO frequency ranging from $5.31 \pm 0.02$ Hz to $7.61\pm 0.09$ Hz. We investigate the energy dependence of the QPO and do not find this feature in the PDS above 30 keV. The combined $0.7-80$ keV SXT and LAXPC spectra are fitted with a model consisting of thermal multi-colour blackbody emission and Comptonized emission components. We perform time-resolved spectroscopy by extracting spectra during the dip and non-dip phases of the observation. A neutral absorber is detected during the dip and non-dip phases though a signature of an ionized absorber is also present in the dip phases. The spectral and temporal parameters are found to evolve during our observation. We estimate the mass function of the system as $f(M) = 2.1-7.2~M_{\odot}$ and the mass of the black hole candidate in the range of $M_{\rm BH} \sim 3.5-12.5~M_{\odot}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Evidence of Heavy Obscuration in the Low-Luminosity AGN NGC 4941

We present the results obtained from timing and spectral studies of the highly obscured low luminosity active galactic nucleus NGC~4941 using data obtained from the {\it Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array} and the {\it Neil Gehrels Swift} Observatories. We find similar variability in $3-10$~keV and $10-60$~keV energy ranges with fractional rms variability of $\sim$14\%. We investigate broad-band spectral properties of the source in 3-150 keV range, using data from {\it NuSTAR} and {\it Swift}/BAT, with phenomenological slab model and physically motivated {\tt mytorus} model. From the spectral analysis, we find heavy obscuration with the global average column density of the obscured material as $3.09^{+1.68}_{-1.01} \times 10^{24}$ cm$^{-2}$. Evidence of a strong reflection component is observed in the spectrum. We detect a strong iron line with an equivalent width of $\sim$1~keV. From the slab model, we obtain the exponential cutoff energy as $177^{+92}_{-16}$~keV. From this, we estimate the Compton cloud properties with the hot electron temperature $kT_{\rm e} = 59^{+31}_{-5}$~keV and the optical depth $τ= 2.7^{+0.2}_{-1.6}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

AstroSat observations of long-duration X-ray superflares on active M-dwarf binary EQ Peg

We present a comprehensive study of three large long-duration flares detected on an active M-dwarf binary EQ Peg using the Soft X-Ray Telescope of the AstroSat observatory. The peak X-ray luminosities of the flares in the 0.3 - 7 keV band are found to be within ~5 - 10 x 10^{30} erg s^{-1}. The e-folding rise- and decay-times of the flares are derived to be in the range of 3.4 - 11 and 1.6 - 24 ks, respectively. Spectral analysis indicates the presence of three temperature corona with the first two plasma temperatures remain constant during all the flares and the post-flare observation at ~3 and ~9 MK. The flare temperature peaked at 26, 16, and 17 MK, which are 2, 1.3, and 1.4 times more than the minimum value, respectively. The peak emission measures are found to be 3.9 - 7.1 x 10^{53} cm^{-3}, whereas the abundances peaked at 0.16-0.26 times the solar abundances. Using quasi-static loop modeling, we derive loop-lengths for all the flares as 2.5+/-0.5 x 10^{11}, 2.0+/-0.5 x 10^{11}, and 2.5+/-0.9 x 10^{11} cm, respectively. The density of the flaring plasma is estimated to be 4.2+/-0.8 x 10^{10}, 3.0+/-0.7 x 10^{10}, 2.2+/-0.8 x 10^{10} cm^{-3) for flares F1, F2, and F3, respectively. Whereas the magnetic field for all three flares is estimated to be <100 G. The estimated energies of all three flares are ~10^{34-35} erg, putting them in a category of superflare. All three superflares are also found to be the longest duration flares ever observed on EQ Peg.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

Unraveling the foretime of GRS 1915+105 using AstroSat observations: Wide-band spectral and temporal characteristics

We present a comprehensive study of GRS 1915+105 in wide energy band ($0.5-60$ keV) using AstroSat observations during the period of $2016-2019$. The MAXI X-ray lightcurve of the source shows rise and decay profiles similar to canonical outbursting black holes. However, the source does not follow the exemplary 'q'-diagram in the Hardness-Intensity Diagram (HID). Model independent analysis of lightcurves suggests that GRS 1915+105 displays various types of variability classes ($δ,χ,ρ,κ,ω$ and $γ$). We also report possible transitions from one class to another ($χ\rightarrowρ,ρ\rightarrowκ$ via an 'unknown' class and $ω\rightarrowγ\rightarrowω+γ$) within a few hours duration. Broadband energy spectra are well modeled with multi-coloured disc blackbody and Comptonised components. We explore the 'spectro-temporal' features of the source in the different variability classes, transitions between classes, and evolution during $2016-2019$. Detailed analysis indicates a gradual increase in the photon index ($Γ$) from $1.83$ to $3.8$, disc temperature ($kT_{in}$) from $1.33$ to $2.67$ keV, and Quasi-periodic Oscillation (QPO) frequency ($ν$) from $4$ to $5.64$ Hz during the rise, while the parameters decrease to $Γ$ ~$1.18$, $kT_{in}$ ~$1.18$ keV, and $ν$ ~$1.38$ Hz respectively in the decline phase. The source shows maximum bolometric luminosity (L$_{bol}$) during the peak at ~$36$% of Eddington luminosity (L$_{EDD}$), and a minimum of ~$2.4$% L$_{EDD}$ during the decay phase. Further evolution of the source towards an obscured low-luminosity (L$_{bol}$ of ~ 1% L$_{EDD}$) phase, with a decrease in the intrinsic bolometric luminosity of the source due to obscuration, has also been indicated from our analysis. The implication of our results are discussed in the context of accretion disc dynamics around the black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

NuSTAR and Swift Observations of the Extragalactic Black Hole X-ray Binaries

We present the results obtained from detailed spectral and timing studies of extra-galactic black hole X-ray binaries LMC~X--1 and LMC~X--3, using simultaneous observations with {\it Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)} and {\it Neil Gehrels Swift} observatories. The combined spectra in the $0.5-30$~keV energy range, obtained between 2014 and 2019, are investigated for both sources. We do not find any noticeable variability in $0.5-30$~keV light curves, with $0.1-10$~Hz fractional rms estimated to be $<2$\%. No evidence of quasi-periodic oscillations is found in the power density spectra. The sources are found to be in the high soft state during the observations with disc temperature $T_{\rm in}\sim 1$~keV, photon index, $Γ> 2.5$ and thermal emission fraction, $f_{\rm disc}>80$\%. An Fe K$α$ emission line is detected in the spectra of LMC~X--1, though no such feature is observed in the spectra of LMC~X--3. From the spectral modelling, the spins of the black holes in LMC~X--1 and LMC~X--3 are estimated to be in the range of $0.92-0.95$ and $0.19-0.29$, respectively. The accretion efficiency is found to be, $η\sim 0.13$ and $η\sim 0.04$ for LMC~X--1 and LMC~X--3, respectively.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Broadband X-Ray Observations of the 2018 Outburst of the Changing-Look Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 1566

We study the nature of the changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus NGC 1566 during its June 2018 outburst. During the outburst, the X-ray intensity of the source rises up to ~25-30 times compared to its quiescent state intensity. We perform timing and spectral analysis of the source during pre-outburst, outburst, and post-outburst epochs using semi-simultaneous observations with the XMM-Newton, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatories. We calculate variance, normalized variance, and fractional rms amplitude in different energy bands to study the variability. The broad-band 0.5-70 keV spectra are fitted with phenomenological models, as well as physical models. A strong soft X-ray excess is detected in the spectra during the outburst. The soft excess emission is found to be complex and could originate in the warm Comptonizing region in the inner accretion disc. We find that the increase in the accretion rate is responsible for the sudden rise in luminosity. This is supported by the q-shape of the hardness-intensity diagram that is generally found in outbursting black hole X-ray binaries. From our analysis, we find that NGC 1566 most likely harbours a low-spinning black hole with the spin parameter a* ~ 0.2. We also discuss a scenario where the central core of NGC 1566 could be a merging supermassive black hole.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Blazar OJ 287 After First VHE Activity: Tracking the Re-emergence of the HBL like Component in 2020

We report the re-emergence of a new broadband emission through a detailed and systematic study of the multi-wavelength spectral and temporal behavior of OJ 287 after its first-ever reported VHE activity in 2017 to date, which includes the second-highest X-ray flux of the source. The source shows high optical to X-ray flux variations, accompanied mainly by strong spectral changes. The optical to X-ray flux variations are correlated and simultaneous except for two durations when they are anti-correlated. The flux variations, however, are anti-correlated with the X-ray spectral state while correlated with optical-UV (ultraviolet). Weekly binned {\it Fermi}-LAT data around the duration of the highest X-ray activity show a few detections with a log-parabola model but none with a power-law; yet the extracted LAT spectral energy distribution (SED) of the high activity duration for both the models is similar and show a hardening above 1 GeV. Further, near-infrared (NIR) data indicate strong spectral change, resembling a thermal component. Overall, the combined optical to gamma-ray broadband spectrum establishes the observed variations to a new high-energy-peaked (HBL) broadband emission component, similar to the one seen during the highest reported X-ray flux state of the source in 2017. The observed activities indicate some peculiar features that seem to be characteristic of this emission component while its appearance, a few years around the claimed $\sim 12$-year optical outbursts strongly indicate a connection between the two.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Complex optical/UV and X-ray variability in Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509

We performed a detailed spectral and timing analysis of a Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509 using data from the Neil Gehrels Swift observatory that spanned over ~13 years between 2006 and 2019. To study the variability properties from the optical/UV to X-ray emission, we used a total of 275 pointed observations in this work. The average spectrum over the entire duration exhibits a strong soft X-ray excess above the power-law continuum. The soft X-ray excess is well described by two thermal components with temperatures of kT_BB1 ~120 eV and kT_BB2 ~460 eV. The warm thermal component is likely due to the presence of an optically thick and warm Comptonizing plasma in the inner accretion disk. The fractional variability amplitude is found to be decreasing with increasing wavelength, i.e. from the soft X-ray to UV/optical emission. However, the hard X-ray (2-8 keV) emission shows very low variability. The strength of the correlation within the UV and the optical bands (0.95-0.99) is found to be stronger than the correlation between the UV/Optical and X-ray bands (0.40-0.53). These results clearly suggest that the emitting regions of the X-ray and UV/optical emission are likely distinct or partly interacting. Having removed the slow variations in the light curves, we find that the lag spectrum is well described by the 4/3 rule for the standard Shakura-Sunyaev accretion disk when we omit X-ray lags. All these results suggest that the real disk is complex, and the UV emission is likely reprocessed in the accretion disk to give X-ray and optical emission.

astro-ph.HE↗