Variable iron - line emission near the black hole of Markarian 766 ⋆
نویسندگان
چکیده
Aims. We investigate the link between ionised Fe X-ray line emission and continuum emission in a bright nearby AGN, Mrk 766. Methods. A new long (433 ks) XMM-Newton observation is analysed, together with archival data from 2000 and 2001. The contribution from ionised line emission is measured and its time variations on short (5–20 ks) timescales are correlated with the continuum emission. Results. The ionised line flux is found to be highly variable and to be strongly correlated with the continuum flux, demonstrating an origin for the ionised line emission that is co-located with the continuum emission. Most likely the emission is ionised reflection from the accretion disc within a few A.U. of the central black hole, and its detection marks the first time that such an origin has been identified other than by fitting to spectral line profiles. Future observations may be able to measure a time lag and hence achieve reverberation mapping of AGN at X-ray energies.
منابع مشابه
The high frequency power spectrum of Markarian 766
An analysis is presented of the power spectrum of X-ray variability of the bright Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 766 as observed by XMM-Newton. Over the 0.2–10 keV energy range the power spectral density (PSD) is well-represented by a power-law with a slope of αlow ≈ 1 at low frequencies, breaking to a slope of αhi = 2.8 +0.2 −0.4 at a frequency fbr ≈ 5 × 10 −4 Hz. As has been noted before this broken po...
متن کاملSoft X { ray spectral variations of the narrow line
The X{ray variability of the narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 766 is studied using 9 ROSAT PSPC datasets. The spectrum is well described by a power law combined with a blackbody (kT 70 eV) soft excess. Examination of ux ratio changes and variability amplitude in 3 X{ray bands, shows that the power law component varies continuously on timescales of 5000s and is steeper when it is brighter....
متن کاملXMM - Newton observation of an unusual iron line in the quasar Markarian 205
XMM-Newton observations of the low luminosity, radio quiet quasar Markarian 205 have revealed a unique iron K emission line profile. In marked contrast to the broad and redshifted iron K line commonly seen in ASCA observations of Seyfert 1 galaxies, we find that a substantial amount of the line flux in Mrk 205 occurs above the neutral line energy of 6.4 keV. Furthermore, we find that the iron l...
متن کاملEvidence for Orbital Motion of Material close to the Central Black Hole of Mrk 766
Time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy has been obtained for the narrow line Seyfert galaxy Mrk 766 from XMM-Newton observations. We present analysis in the energy-time plane of EPIC pn data in the 4 − 8 keV band with energy resolution R ≃ 50. A component of Fe Kα emission detected in the maps shows a variation of photon energy with time that appears both to be statistically significant and to be con...
متن کاملThe variable X-ray spectrum of Markarian 766 - I. Principal components analysis
Aims. We analyse a long XMM-Newton spectrum of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 766, using the marked spectral variability on timescales > 20 ks to separate components in the X-ray spectrum. Methods. Principal components analysis is used to identify distinct emission components in the X-ray spectrum, possible alternative physical models for those components are then compared statistically. ...
متن کامل