arXiv subjects

Uria Peretz

Publications and source records attributed to Uria Peretz.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2022

Detection of an Unidentified Soft X-ray Emission Feature in NGC 5548

NGC~5548 is an X-ray bright Seyfert 1 active galaxy. It exhibits a variety of spectroscopic features in the soft X-ray band, including in particular the absorption by the AGN outflows of a broad range of ionization states, with column densities up to 1E27 /m^2, and having speeds up to several thousand kilometers per second. The known emission features are in broad agreement with photoionized X-ray narrow and broad emission line models. We report on an X-ray spectroscopic study using 1.1 Ms XMM-Newton and 0.9 Ms Chandra grating observations of NGC 5548 spanning two decades. The aim is to search and characterize any potential spectroscopic features in addition to the known primary spectral components that are already modeled in high precision. We detect a weak unidentified excess emission feature at 18.4 Angstrom (18.1 Angstrom in the restframe). The feature is seen at >5 sigma statistical significance taking into account the look elsewhere effect. No known instrumental issues, atomic transitions, and astrophysical effects can explain this excess. The observed intensity of the possible feature seems to anti-correlate in time with the hardness ratio of the source. However, the variability might not be intrinsic, it might be caused by the time-variable obscuration by the outflows. An intriguing possibility is the line emission from charge exchange between a partially ionized outflow and a neutral layer in the same outflow, or in the close environment. Other possibilities, such as emission from a highly-ionized component with high outflowing speed, cannot be fully ruled out.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2020

The ionic composition of the local absorber towards 3C 273

Hot ionized gas is observed in the local vicinity of our galaxy through spectral absorption features. The most common hypothesis is that this gas forms a halo surrounding our Milky-Way (MW), in collisional ionization equilibrium. In this paper we investigate the elemental abundance of this hot and ionized local gas. We use a 2.4 Ms stacked X-ray spectrum of the bright blazar 3C 273 and probe the local absorption features. Using ion-by-ion fitting of the X-ray absorption lines we derive the column density of each ionization species. Based on the column densities we reconstruct the Absorption measure distribution (AMD), namely the hydrogenic column density as a function of temperature. We report the elemental abundances of C, N, Ne, and Fe relative to solar O. Previous measurements of local X-ray emission lines in conjunction with the present column densities indicate a scale height of $1-80$ kpc and hydrogen number density of $10^{-4}-10^{-3}$cm$^{-3}$ for the hot ionized gas. Additionally, we detect He-like O lines from the quasar broad line region with velocities of 6400$\pm$1500 km s$^{-1}$

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Simultaneous Millimeter-wave and X-ray monitoring of the Seyfert Galaxy NGC 7469

We report on daily monitoring of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469, around 95 GHz and 143 GHz, with the IRAM 30 m radio telescope, and with the Swift X-Ray and UV/Optical telescopes, over an overlapping period of 45 days. The source was observed on 36 days with IRAM, and the flux density in both mm bands was on average $\sim 10$ mJy, but varied by $\pm50\%$, and by up to a factor of 2 between days. The present IRAM variability parameters are consistent with earlier CARMA monitoring, which had only 18 data points. The X-ray light curve of NGC 7469 over the same period spans a factor of 5 in flux with small uncertainties. Similar variability in the mm-band and in the X-rays lends support to the notion of both sources originating in the same physical component of the AGN, likely the accretion disk corona. Simultaneous monitoring in eight UV/optical bands shows much less variability than the mm and X-rays, implying this light originates from a different AGN component, likely the accretion disk itself. We use a tentative 14 day lag of the X-ray light curve with respect to the 95 GHz light curve to speculate on coronal implications. More precise mm-band measurements of a sample of X-ray-variable AGN are needed, preferably also on time scales of less than a day where X-rays vary dramatically, in order to properly test the physical connection between the two bands.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2019

Direct observation of the Broad Line Region in X-rays during the low state of NGC4051

NGC 4051 is one of the X-ray brightest and most variable Seyfert galaxies. During 2009 NGC 4051 was caught at its lowest state ever observed by $XMM-Newton$. The low source continuum emission allows a clear measurement of the He-like emission lines of N$^{+5}$ and O$^{+6}$. The exceptionally high intercombination line flux is a direct measurement of either a high density or a UV irradiated photoionized plasma. Either way, this provides an unambiguous distance diagnostic. We find that the line emitting region has a density of $\sim3\times10^{10}$ cm$^{-3}$ and distance of a few $10^{15}$ cm from the continuum source, placing it within the UV-optical Broad Line Region of NGC 4051. Both N$^{+5}$ and O$^{+6}$ independently result in similar measurements for density and distance. In addition, we find the kinematics of the broad O$^{+7}$ Ly$α$ match those of the He$^{+1}\,\lambda4686$\,Å line, which is associated with the NGC 4051 Broad Line Region. This is the first direct X-ray measurement of a Seyfert Broad Line Region.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Classifying AGN by X-ray Hardness Variability

The physics behind the dramatic and unpredictable X-ray variability of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) has eluded astronomers since it was discovered. We present an analysis of Swift XRT observations of 44 AGN with at least 20 Swift observations. We define HR-slope as the change of Hardness Ratio (HR) with luminosity ($L$). This slope is measured for all objects in order to: 1. Classify different AGN according to their HR-HR-slope relation and 2. compare HR-$L/L_\mathrm{Edd}$ trends with those observed in X-ray binaries for the 27 AGN with well measured black hole masses. We compare results using a count-based HR definition and an energy-based HR definition. We observe a clear dichotomy between Seyferts and radio loud galaxies when considering count-based HR, which disappears when considering energy based HR. This, along with the fact no correlation is observed between HR parameters and radio loudness, implies radio loud and radio quiet AGN should not be discriminated by their HR behavior. We provide schematic physical models to explain the observed transition between energy defined HR states. We find Seyferts populate the high, hard, phase of the HR-$L/L_\mathrm{Edd}$ diagram as well as do three radio loud objects. Two LINERs populate the low, soft, phase part of this diagram. Finally, radio loud objects are concentrated around small positive HR-slopes, while Seyferts track the HR phase diagram which may provide clues to the geometry of the corona.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

Multi-wavelength campaign on NGC7469 I. The rich 640 ks RGS spectrum

Outflows in active galaxies (AGNs) are common, although their launching mechanism, location, and physical impact on the host galaxy remain controversial. We conducted a multiwavelength six-month campaign to observe the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469 with several observatories in order to better understand and quantify the outflow in this AGN. We report on the time-integrated line-resolved X-ray spectrum of NGC 7469 obtained with the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) on board XMM-Newton. We use the RGS spectrum to discern the many AGN outflow components. A global fit is applied to obtain their physical parameters. We find that the AGN wind can be well described by three narrow velocity components at -650, -950, and -2050 km/s. The RGS clearly resolves the -20 50 km/s component in C5+ Ly$α$, while the -650 km/s and -950 km/s velocities are blended. Similar velocities are resolved in the UV. The H-equivalent column densities of these components are, respectively, NH = 7x10^20, 2.2x10^21, and 10^20 cm^-2, for a total of 3x10^21 cm^-2. The -650 km/s component shows a broad ionisation distribution. We identify a photo-ionised emission component blue-shifted by -450 km/s which we ascribe to the same outflow that produces the absorption lines. The elemental abundance ratios of C, N, Ne, S, and Fe to O in the outflow tend to be between 1 - 2 times solar. Preliminary estimates of the absorber distance from the AGN center suggest it is at least a few pc away from the center, but more advanced methods need to be applied in order to obtain better constraints. The complex X-ray spectrum of NGC 7469 demonstrates the richness of high energy phenomena taking place in AGN cores. The subtle spectroscopic differences between the various components require deep, high-resolution observations, such as the present RGS spectrum, if one is to resolve them and perform quantitative plasma diagnostics.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Coronae of Stars with Super Solar Elemental Abundances

Coronal elemental abundances are known to deviate from the photospheric values of their parent star, with the degree of deviation depending on the First Ionization Potential (FIP). This study focuses on the coronal composition of stars with super-solar photospheric abundances. We present the coronal abundances of six such stars: 11 LMi, $ι$ Hor, HR 7291, $τ$ Boo, and $α$ Cen A and B. These stars all have high-statistics X-ray spectra, three of which are presented for the first time. The abundances measured in this paper are obtained using the line-resolved spectra of the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) in conjunction with the higher throughput EPIC-pn camera spectra on board the XMM-Newton observatory. A collisionally ionized plasma model with two or three temperature components is found to represent the spectra well. All elements are found to be consistently depleted in the coronae compared to their respective photospheres. For 11 LMi and $τ$ Boo no FIP effect is present, while $ι$ Hor, HR 7291, and $α$ Cen A and B show a clear FIP trend. These conclusions hold whether the comparison is made with solar abundances or the individual stellar abundances. Unlike the solar corona where low FIP elements are enriched, in these stars the FIP effect is consistently due to a depletion of high FIP elements with respect to actual photospheric abundances. Comparing to solar abundances (instead of stellar) yields the same fractionation trend as on the Sun. In both cases a similar FIP bias is inferred, but different fractionation mechanisms need to be invoked.

astro-ph.SR↗