Search

We analyzed the unexposed to the sky (outFOV) region of the MOS2 detector on board XMM-Newton covering 15 yr of data amounting to 255 Ms. We show convincing evidence that the origin of the unfocused background in XMM-Newton is due to energetic protons, electrons, and hard X-ray photons. Galactic cosmic rays are the main contributors as shown by the tight correlation (2.6% of total scatter) with the 1 GeV proton data of the SOHO EPHIN detector. Tight correlations are found with a proxy of the Chandra background rate, revealing the common source of background for detectors in similar orbits, and with the data of the EPIC Radiation Monitor, only when excluding Solar energetic particle events. The entrance to the outer electron belts is associated with a sudden increase in the outFOV MOS2 rate and a spectral change. These facts support the fact that MeV electrons can generate an unfocused background signal. The correlation between MOS2 outFOV data and the SOHO EPHIN data reveals a term constant in time and isotropic, similar to the one found in the study of the pn data. The most plausible origin of this component is hard unfocused X-ray photons of the cosmic X-ray background Compton scattering in the detector as supported by the strength of the signal in the two detectors with different thicknesses. Based on this physical understanding, a particle radiation monitor on board the Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics has been proposed and it is currently under study. It will be able to track different species with the necessary accuracy and precision to guarantee the challenging requirement of 2% reproducibility of the background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent discovery of a Galactic fast radio burst (FRB) occurring simultaneously with an X-ray burst (XRB) from the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154 implies that at least some FRBs arise from magnetar activities. We propose that FRBs are triggered by crust fracturing of magnetars, with the burst event rate depending on the magnetic field strength in the crust. Since the crust-fracturing rate is relatively higher in polar regions, FRBs are more likely to be triggered near the directions of multipolar magnetic poles. Crust fracturing produces Alfvén waves, forming a charge-starved region in the magnetosphere and leading to nonstationary pair plasma discharges. An FRB is produced by coherent plasma radiation due to nonuniform pair production across magnetic field lines. Meanwhile, the FRB-associated XRB is produced by the rapid relaxation of the external magnetic field lines. In this picture, the sharp-peak hard X-ray component in association with FRB 200428 is from a region between adjacent trapped fireballs, and its spectrum with a high cutoff energy is attributed to resonant Compton scattering. The persistent X-ray emission is from a hot spot heated by the magnetospheric activities, and its temperature evolution is dominated by magnetar surface cooling. Within this picture, magnetars with stronger fields tend to produce brighter and more frequent repeated bursts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radio radiation mechanism is one of the open questions for pulsars. Multiband observations are very helpful to constrain pulsar radiation models. We observed PSR J1848-0123 at the 5 GHz band with the Shanghai Tianma 65 m radio telescope (TMRT). The 5 GHz observation together with the European Pulsar Network (EPN) and CSIRO ATNF Data Archives databases provides a broadband evolution property of the pulse profiles for this pulsar. We reprocessed these data sets to obtain the multiband pulse profiles. It was found that the pulse profile of PSR J1848-0123 narrows with increasing emission frequency. We separated the emission components of each pulse profile with a multi-Gaussian fitting method, and then calculated the beaming angle and emission radius of each component with the basic radiation geometry of pulsar. With the calculated beam angles and radiation radii, we simulated the radius-frequency mapping of this pulsar with an inverse Compton scatting model (ICS). It was found that the observed radio radiation could be generated in the core gap region above the polar cap of the pulsar. The beaming angle and emission radius versus frequency for PSR J1848-0123 can be explained well with the ICS model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have carried out an extensive X-ray spectral study of the bare Seyfert 1 galaxy MCG –02–58–22 to ascertain the nature of the X-ray reprocessing media using observations from Suzaku (2009) and simultaneous observations from XMM-Newton and NuSTAR (2016). The most significant results of our investigation are as follows. (1) The primary X-ray emission from the corona is constant in these observations, in terms of both the power-law slope (Γ = 1.80) and luminosity (L2−10 keV = 2.55 × 1044 erg s−1). (2) The soft excess flux decreased by a factor of 2 in 2016, the Compton hump weakened/vanished in 2016, and the narrow FeKα emission line became marginally broad (σ = 0.35 ± 0.08 keV) and its flux doubled in 2016. (3) From physical model fits, we find that the normalization of the narrow component of the FeKα line does not change in the two epochs, although the Compton hump vanishes in the same time span. Since the primary X-ray continuum does not change, we presume that any changes in the reprocessed emission must arise due to changes in the reprocessing media. Our primary conclusions are as follows. (a) The vanishing of the Compton hump in 2016 can probably be explained by a dynamic clumpy torus that is infalling/outflowing or a polar dusty wind. (b) The torus in this active galactic nucleus possibly has two structures: an equatorial toroidal disk (producing the narrow FeKα emission) and a polar component (producing the variable Compton hump). (c) The reduction of the soft excess flux by half and increase in the FeKα flux by a factor of 2 in the same period cannot be adequately explained by an ionized disk reflection model alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have selected a sample of 64 teraelectronvolt blazars, with redshift, from those classified in the fourth Fermi Large Area Telescope source catalog.3 We have obtained the values of the relevant physical parameters by performing a log-parabolic fitting of the average-state multiwavelength spectral energy distributions. We estimate the range of the radiation zone parameters, such as the Doppler factor (D), the magnetic field strength (B), the radiative zone radius (R), and the peak Lorentz factor (γp) of nonthermal electrons. Here, we show that (1) there is a strong linear positive correlation between the intrinsic synchrotron peak frequency and the intrinsic inverse Compton scattering (ICs) peak frequency among different types of blazars; (2) if radio bands are excluded, the spectral index of each band is negatively correlated with the intrinsic peak frequency; (3) there is a strong linear negative correlation between the curvature at the peak and the intrinsic peak frequency of the synchrotron bump, and a weak positive correlation between the curvature at the peak and the intrinsic peak frequency of the ICs bump; (4) there is a strong linear positive correlation between the intrinsic ICs peak luminosity and intrinsic γ-ray luminosity and between the intrinsic ICs peak frequency and peak Lorentz factor; (5) there is a strong negative linear correlation between and ; and (6) there is no correlation between and. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present five simultaneous UV/X-ray observations of IC 4329A by AstroSat performed over a 5 month period. We utilize the excellent spatial resolution of the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope on board AstroSat to reliably separate the intrinsic active galactic nucleus (AGN) flux from the host galaxy emission and correct for the Galactic and internal reddening, as well as the contribution from the narrow- and broad-line regions. We detect large-amplitude UV variability, which is unusual for a large black hole mass AGN like IC 4329A, over such a small period. In fact, the fractional variability amplitude is larger in the UV band than in the X-ray band. This demonstrates that the observed UV variability is intrinsic to the disk and not due to X-ray illumination. The joint X-ray spectral analyses of five sets of Soft X-ray Telescope and Large Area X-ray Proportional Counter spectral data reveal a soft X-ray excess component, a narrow iron line (with no indication of a significant Compton hump), and a steepening power law (ΔΓ ∼ 0.21) with increasing X-ray flux. The soft excess component could arise due to thermal Comptonization of the inner disk photons in a warm corona with kTe ∼ 0.26 keV. The UV emission we detect acts as the primary seed photons for the hot corona, which produces the broadband X-ray continuum. The X-ray spectral variability is well described by the cooling of this corona from kTe ∼ 42 to ∼32 keV with increasing UV flux, while the optical depth remains constant at τ ∼ 2.3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral distortions of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) are sensitive to energy injection by exotic physics in the early universe. The proposed Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE) mission has the raw sensitivity to provide meaningful limits on new physics, but only if foreground emission can be adequately modeled. We quantify the impact of interstellar dust on Compton y and μ measurements by considering a range of grain size distributions and compositions constrained by theoretical and observational priors. We find that PIXIE can marginalize over a modest number of dust parameters and still recover y and μ estimates, though with increased uncertainty. As more foreground components are included (synchrotron, free–free), estimates of y degrade, and measurement of μ in the range sometimes considered for the standard ΛCDM of 2 × 10−8 becomes infeasible without ancillary low-frequency foreground information. An additional concern is dust absorption of the CMB monopole, a subtle effect that must be included. We quantify one form of model discrepancy error, finding that the error introduced by fitting our interstellar medium dust model with a modified blackbody is too large for CMB spectral distortions to be detectable. The greatest challenge may be the cosmic infrared background (CIB). We find that μ and y are extremely sensitive to modeling choices for the CIB, and quantify biases expected for a range of assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) are a subclass of blazars characterized by prominent optical emission lines and a collimated large-scale jet along the observer's line of sight. An X-ray spectral flattening has been reported in FSRQs (at relatively high redshifts) that is attributable either to absorption from gas along the line of sight or to intrinsic jet-based radiative processes. We study a sample of 16 high-redshift FSRQs (z of 1.1–4.7; rest-frame energy up to 50 keV) observed with the XMM-Newton and Swift satellites spanning 29 epochs. The X-ray spectra are fit with a power law including free excess absorption and one multiplied by an exponential roll-off to account for the intrinsic jet-based processes. A statistical analysis is used to distinguish between these models to understand the origin of the spectral flattening. The model selection is unable to distinguish between them in 10 of the 16 FSRQs. Intrinsic jet-based radiative processes are indicated in 4 FSRQs, where we infer energy breaks consistent with their expectation from the external Compton-scattering of low-energy ambient photons. Two of the FSRQs indicate mixed results, supportive of either scenario, illustrating the difficulty of identifying X-ray absorption signatures. A clear detection can be employed to disentangle the relative contributions from the intergalactic medium and the intracluster medium, the method of which is outlined and applied to the latter two sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-frequency radio selection finds radio-bright galaxies regardless of the amount of obscuration by gas and dust. We report Chandra observations of a complete 178 MHz–selected, and so orientation-unbiased, sample of 44 0.5 < z < 1 3CRR sources. The sample is comprised of quasars and narrow-line radio galaxies (NLRGs) with similar radio luminosities, and the radio structure serves as both an age and an orientation indicator. Consistent with unification, intrinsic obscuration (measured by NH, X-ray hardness ratio, and X-ray luminosity) generally increases with inclination. However, the sample includes a population not seen in high-z 3CRR sources: NLRGs viewed at intermediate inclination angles with NH < 1022 cm−2. Multiwavelength analysis suggests that these objects have lower L/LEdd than typical NLRGs at similar orientation. Thus, both orientation and L/LEdd are important, and a "radiation-regulated unification" provides a better explanation of the sample's observed properties. In comparison with the 3CRR sample at 1 < z < 2, our lower-redshift sample shows a higher fraction of Compton-thin NLRGs (45% versus 29%) but a similar Compton-thick fraction (20%), implying a larger covering factor of Compton-thin material at intermediate viewing angles and thus a more "puffed-up" torus atmosphere. We posit that this is due to a range of L/LEdd extending to lower values in this sample. In contrast, at high redshifts, the narrower range and high L/LEdd values allowed orientation (and so simple unification) to dominate the sample's observed properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to connect galaxy clusters to their progenitor protoclusters, we must constrain the star formation histories within their member galaxies and the timescale of virial collapse. In this paper we characterize the complex star-forming properties of a z = 2.5 protocluster in the COSMOS field using ALMA dust continuum and new Very Large Array CO (1–0) observations of two filaments associated with the structure, sometimes referred to as the "Hyperion" protocluster. We focus in particular on the protocluster "core," which has previously been suggested as the highest-redshift bona fide galaxy cluster traced by extended X-ray emission in a stacked Chandra/XMM image. We reanalyze these data and refute these claims, finding that at least 40% ± 17% of extended X-ray sources of similar luminosity and size at this redshift arise instead from inverse Compton scattering off recently extinguished radio galaxies rather than intracluster medium. Using ancillary COSMOS data, we also constrain the spectral energy distributions of the two filaments' eight constituent galaxies from the rest-frame UV to radio. We do not find evidence for enhanced star formation efficiency in the core and conclude that the constituent galaxies are already massive (M⋆ ≈ 1011M⊙), with molecular gas reservoirs >1010M⊙ that will be depleted within 200–400 Myr. Finally, we calculate the halo mass of the nested core at z = 2.5 and conclude that it will collapse into a cluster of (2–9) × 1014M⊙, comparable to the size of the Coma Cluster at z = 0 and accounting for at least 50% of the total estimated halo mass of the extended "Hyperion" structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The location of the obscuring "torus" in an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is still an unresolved issue. The line widths of X-ray fluorescence lines originating from the torus, particularly Fe Kα, carry key information on the radii of line-emitting regions. Utilizing XCLUMPY, an X-ray clumpy torus model, we develop a realistic model of emission line profiles from an AGN torus where we take into account line broadening due to the Keplerian motion around the black hole. Then, we apply the updated model to the best available broadband spectra (3–100 keV) of the Circinus galaxy observed with Suzaku, XMM-Newton, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, and Chandra, including 0.62 Ms Chandra/HETG data. We confirm that the torus is Compton-thick (hydrogen column density along the equatorial plane is), geometrically thin (torus angular width), viewed edge-on (inclination), and has supersolar abundance (times solar). Simultaneously analyzing the Chandra/HETG first-, second-, and third-order spectra with consideration of the spatial extent of the Fe Kα line-emitting region, we constrain the inner radius of the torus to be times the gravitational radius, or for a black hole mass of (1.7 ± 0.3) × 106M⊙. This is about three times smaller than that estimated from the dust sublimation radius, suggesting that the inner side of the dusty region of the torus is composed of dust-free gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed spectral analysis of the joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations of the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the Seyfert 1.5 Galaxy ESO 362-G18. The broadband (0.3–79 keV) spectrum shows the presence of a power-law continuum with a soft excess below 2 keV, iron Kα emission (∼6.4 keV), and a Compton hump (peaking at ∼20 keV). We find that the soft excess can be modeled by two different possible scenarios: a warm (kTe ∼ 0.2 keV) and optically thick (τ ∼ 34) Comptonizing corona, or with a relativistically blurred reflection off a high-density () inner disk. These two models cannot be easily distinguished solely from their fit statistics. However, the low temperature (kTe ∼ 20 keV) and the thick optical depth (τ ∼ 5) of the hot corona required by the warm corona scenario are uncommon for AGNs. We also fit a "hybrid" model, which includes both disk reflection and a warm corona. Unsurprisingly, as this is the most complex of the models considered, this provides the best fit, and more reasonable coronal parameters. In this case, the majority of the soft excess flux arises in the warm corona component. However, based on recent simulations of warm coronae, it is not clear whether such a structure can really exist at the low accretion rates relevant for ESO 362-G18 (). This may therefore argue in favor of a scenario in which the soft excess is instead dominated by the relativistic reflection. Based on this model, we find that the data would require a compact hot corona (h ∼ 3 RHorizon) around a rapidly spinning (a⋆ > 0.927) black hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray reverberation mapping has emerged as a new tool to probe accretion in active galactic nuclei (AGN), providing a potentially powerful probe of accretion at the black hole scale. The lags, along with relativistic spectral signatures are often interpreted in light of the lamppost model. Focusing specifically on testing the prediction of the relativistic reverberation model, we have targeted several of the brightest Seyfert Galaxies in X-rays with different observing programs. Here, we report the results from two large campaigns with NuSTAR targeting MCG-5-23-16 and SWIFT J2127.4+5654 to test the model predictions in the 3–50 keV band. These are two of three sources that showed indications of a delayed Compton hump in early data. With triple the previously analyzed exposures, we find no evidence for relativistic reverberation in MCG-5-23-16, and the energy-dependent lags are consistent with a log-linear continuum. In SWIFT J2127.4+5654, although a continuum-only model explains the data, the relativistic reverberation model provides a significant improvement to the energy and frequency-dependent lags, but with parameters that are not consistent with the time-averaged spectrum. This adds to mounting evidence showing that the lag data is not consistent with a static lamppost model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray studies of jellyfish galaxies play a crucial role in understanding the interactions between the interstellar medium (ISM) and the intracluster medium (ICM). In this paper, we focused on the jellyfish galaxy JO201. By combining archival Chandra observations, Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer Hα cubes, and maps of the emission fraction of the diffuse ionized gas, we investigated both its high-energy spectral properties and the spatial correlation between its X-ray and optical emissions. The X-ray emission of JO201 is provided by both the Compton-thick active galactic nucleus (L = 2.7 · 1041 erg s−1, not corrected for intrinsic absorption) and an extended component (L 1.9–4.5 · 1041 erg s−1) produced by a warm plasma (kT keV), whose luminosity is higher than expected from the observed star formation (L 3.8 · 1040erg s−1). The spectral analysis showed that the X-ray emission is consistent with the thermal cooling of hot plasma. These properties are similar to the ones found in other jellyfish galaxies showing extended X-ray emission. A point-to-point analysis revealed that this X-ray emission closely follows the ISM distribution, whereas CLOUDY simulations proved that the ionization triggered by this warm plasma would be able to reproduce the [O i ]/Hα excess observed in JO201. We conclude that the galactic X-ray emitting plasma originates on the surface of the ISM as a result of the ICM–ISM interplay. This process would entail the cooling and accretion of the ICM onto the galaxy, which could additionally fuel the star formation, and the emergence of [O i ]/Hα excess in the optical spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microquasar MAXI J1820+070 went into outburst from 2018 mid-March until mid-July, with several faint rebrightenings afterward. With a peak flux of approximately 4 Crab in the 20–50 keV energy range, the source was monitored across the electromagnetic spectrum with detections from radio to hard X-ray frequencies. Using these multiwavelength observations, we analyzed quasi-simultaneous observations from April 12, near the peak of the outburst (∼March 23). Analysis of the X-ray spectrum found it indicative of an accreting black hole binary in the hard state, consistent with the flat/inverted radio spectrum and the accretion disk winds seen at optical wavelengths. Then, we constructed a spectral energy distribution spanning ∼12 orders of magnitude using modeling in JetSeT. The model is composed of an irradiated disk with a Compton hump and a leptonic jet with an acceleration region and a synchrotron-dominated cooling region. JetSeT finds that the spectrum is dominated by jet emission up to approximately 1014 Hz, after which disk and coronal emission dominates. The acceleration region has a magnetic field of B ∼ 1.6 × 104 G, a cross section of R ∼ 2.8 × 109 cm, and a flat radio spectral shape naturally obtained from the synchroton cooling of the accelerated electrons. The jet luminosity is >8 × 1037 erg s−1 (>0.15LEdd), compared to an accretion luminosity of ∼6 × 1037 erg s−1, assuming a distance of 3 kpc. Because these two values are comparable, it is possible that the jet is powered predominately via accretion with only a small contribution needed from the Blanford–Znajek mechanism from the reportedly slowly spinning black hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of some blazars exhibit an ultraviolet (UV) and/or soft X-ray excess that can be modeled with different radiation mechanisms. Polarization measurements of the UV/X-ray emission from blazars may provide new and unique information about the astrophysical environment of blazar jets, and could thus help to distinguish between different emission scenarios. In this paper, a new Monte Carlo code—Monte Carlo Applications for Partially Polarized Inverse External-Compton Scattering—for polarization-dependent Compton scattering is used to simulate the polarization signatures in a model where the UV/soft X-ray excess arises from the bulk Compton process. Predictions of the expected polarization signatures of Compton emission from the soft X-ray excess in the SED of AO 0235+164 and the UV excess in the SED of 3C 279 are made for upcoming and proposed polarimetry missions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supernova remnant RX J1713.7-3946 has exhibited the largest surface brightness and a detailed spectral and shell-type morphology, and is one of the brightest TeV sources. The recent H.E.S.S. observation of RX J1713.7-3946 revealed a broken power-law GeV–TeV gamma-ray and a more extended gamma-ray spatial radial profile than in the X-ray band. Based on the diffusion shock acceleration model, we solve spherically symmetric hydrodynamic equations and particle transport equations, and investigate the multi-band non-thermal emission of RX J1713.7-3946 and radial profiles of its surface brightness for two selected zones in the leptonic scenario for gamma-ray emission. We found (1) the diffusion coefficient has a weak energy dependence, and the Kolmogorov type is favored; (2) the magnetic field strength can vary linearly or nonlinearly with radius for different surrounding environments because of possible turbulence in the shock downstream region, and compressional amplification is likely to exist at the shock front; (3) the non-thermal photons from radio to X-ray bands are dominated by synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons if the GeV–TeV gamma-rays are produced by inverse Compton scattering from these electrons interacting with the background photons; then the X-ray and gamma-ray radial profiles can be reproduced except for the more extended gamma-ray emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GRS 1915+105 is a stellar-mass black hole that is well known for exhibiting at least 12 distinct classes of X-ray variability and correlated multi-wavelength behavior. Despite such extraordinary variability, GRS 1915+105 remained one of the brightest sources in the X-ray sky. However, in early 2019, the source became much fainter, apparently entering a new accretion state. Here, we report the results of an extensive, year-long monitoring campaign of GRS 1915+105 with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory. During this interval, the flux of GRS 1915+105 gradually diminished; the observed count rate eventually dropped by two orders of magnitude. Simple but robust spectral fits to these monitoring observations show that this new state results from the combination of a dramatic and persistent increase in internal obscuration, and a reduced mass accretion rate. The internal obscuration is the dominant effect, with a median value of NH = 7 × 1023 cm−2. In a number of observations, the source appears to be Compton-thick. We suggest that this state should be identified as the "obscured state," and discuss the implications of this new (or rarely observed) accretion mode for black holes across the mass scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent detection of sub-TeV emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) represents a breakthrough in the GRB study. The multiwavelength data of the afterglows of GRB 190114C support the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) origin for its sub-TeV emission. We present a comparative analysis on the SSC emission of GRB afterglows in the homogeneous and wind environments in the framework of the forward shock model. The γγ absorption of very-high-energy photons due to pair production within the source and the Klein–Nishina effect on the inverse Compton scattering are considered. Generally a higher SSC flux is expected for a larger circum-burst density due to a larger Compton parameter, but meanwhile the internal γγ absorption is more severe for sub-TeV emission. The flux ratio between the SSC component and the synchrotron component decreases more quickly with time in the wind medium case than in the homogeneous density medium case. The light curves of the SSC emission are also different for the two types of media. We also calculate the cascade emission resulting from the absorbed high-energy photons. In the ISM environment with n ≳ 1 cm−3, the cascade synchrotron emission could be comparable to the synchrotron emission of the primary electrons in the optical band, which may flatten the optical afterglow light curve at an early time (t < 1 hr). In the wind medium with A* ≳ 0.1, the cascade emission in the eV–GeV band is comparable or even larger than the emission of the primary electrons at the early time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even in deep X-ray surveys, Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (CT AGNs, NH ≥ 1.5 × 1024 cm−2) are difficult to identify due to X-ray flux suppression and their complex spectral shapes. However, the study of CT AGNs is vital for understanding the rapid growth of black holes and the origin of the cosmic X-ray background. In the local universe, the fraction of CT AGNs accounts for 30% of the whole AGN population. We expect a higher fraction of CT AGNs in deep X-ray surveys; however, only 10% of AGNs have been identified as CT AGNs in the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South survey. In this work, we select 51 AGNs with abundant multiwavelength data. Using the method of the mid-infrared (mid-IR) excess, we select hitherto unknown eight CT AGN candidates in our sample. Seven of these candidates can be confirmed as CT AGNs based on the multiwavelength identification approach, and a new CT AGN (XID 133) is identified through the mid-IR diagnostics. We also discuss the X-ray origin of these eight CT AGNs and the reason why their column densities were underestimated in previous studies. We find that the multiwavelength approaches of selecting CT AGNs are highly efficient, provided the high quality of observational data. We also find that CT AGNs have a higher Eddington ratio than non-CT AGNs, and that both CT AGNs and non-CT AGNs show similar properties of host galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present imaging and spectral analysis of the combined ∼48 ks Chandra observations of Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 4388. Compared with previous studies, three prominent extended X-ray structures around the nucleus on a kiloparsec-scale are well imaged, allowing an in-depth spatially resolved study. Both the extended hard continuum (4–6 keV) and the Fe Kα line (6.2–6.7 keV) show similar morphology, consistent with a scenario where the ionizing emission from the nucleus is reprocessed by circumnuclear cold gas, resulting in a weak reflection continuum and an associated neutral Fe Kα line. This has been seen in other Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (AGN), but NGC 4388 is one of the rare cases with a lower column density (NH < 1.25 × 1024 cm−2) along the line of sight. Significant differences in equivalent width of the Fe Kα emission line (up to a factor of 3) are found for the nuclear and extended regions. Such a difference could be ascribed to different column densities or scattering angles with respect to the line of sight, rather than variations in iron abundances. The northeast and west extended structures appear to be aligned with the larger-scale galactic disk and dust lane in the HST V − H color map, and are located at the peak of molecular gas distribution. The morphology of remaining extended features likely traces edges of a known radio jet, indicating that the outflow at the kiloparsec-scale may have compressed the interstellar gas and produced clumps working as the reflector to enhance line emission. In addition, using [O iv ] emission as a proxy of the AGN intrinsic luminosity, we find that both of the extended Fe Kα emission and reflection continuum are linearly correlated with the [O iv ] luminosity, which indicates a connection between the central AGN and the extended emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the afterglow light curves produced by the deceleration of a nonrelativistic ejecta mass in a stratified circumstellar medium with a density profile n(r) ∝ r−k with k = 0, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5. Once the ejecta mass is launched with equivalent kinetic energy parameterized by E(>β) ∝ β−α (where β is the ejecta velocity) and propagates into the surrounding circumstellar medium, it first moves with constant velocity (the free-coasting phase), and later it decelerates (the Sedov–Taylor expansion). We present the predicted synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton light curves during the free-coasting phase and the subsequent Sedov–Taylor expansion. In particular cases, we show the corresponding light curves generated by the deceleration of several ejecta masses with different velocities launched during the coalescence of binary compact objects and the core collapse of dying massive stars, which will contribute at distinct timescales, frequencies, and intensities. Finally, using the multiwavelength observations and upper limits collected by a large campaign of orbiting satellites and ground telescopes, we constrain the parameter space of both the kilonova (KN) afterglow in GW170817 and the possibly generated KN afterglow in S190814bv. Further observations on timescales of years post-merger are needed to derive tighter constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron–positron pair creation near sub-Eddington accretion rate black holes is believed to be dominated by the Breit–Wheeler process (photon–photon collisions). The interacting high-energy photons are produced when unscreened electric fields accelerate leptons either in coherent, macroscopic gaps, or in incoherent structures embedded in the turbulent plasma flow. The latter type of acceleration results in a drizzle of pair production sourced by photons from the background radiation field whose energies are near the pair-production threshold. In this work, we use radiation general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations to extend an earlier study of pair drizzle by Mościbrodzka et al. We focus on low-magnetization (standard and normal evolution) accretion onto supermassive Kerr black holes and consider radiation due to synchrotron, bremsstrahlung, and Compton upscattering processes. We confirm that pair drizzle in M87 is sufficient to keep the magnetospheric charge density orders of magnitude above the Goldreich–Julian density. We also find that pair production peaks along the jet–disk boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation mechanisms responsible for the multiwavelength emission from relativistic jet sources are poorly understood. The modeling of the spectral energy distributions and light curves alone is not adequate to distinguish between existing models. Polarization in the X-ray and γ-ray regime of these sources may provide new and unique information about the jet physics and radiation mechanisms. Several upcoming projects will be able to deliver polarimetric measurements of the brightest X-ray sources, including active galactic nuclei jets and γ-ray bursts. This article describes the development of a new Monte Carlo code—MAPPIES (Monte Carlo Applications for Partially Polarized Inverse External-Compton Scattering)—for polarization-dependent Compton scattering in relativistic jet sources. Generic results for Compton polarization in the Thomson and Klein–Nishina regimes are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the new, deep (94 ksec) Chandra ACIS-S observation of radio-loud active galaxy CGCG 292−057, characterized by a LINER-type nucleus and a complex radio structure that indicates intermittent jet activity. On the scale of the host galaxy bulge, we detected excess X-ray emission with a spectrum best fit by a thermal plasma model with a temperature of ∼0.8 keV. We argue that this excess emission results from compression and heating of the hot diffuse fraction of the interstellar medium displaced by the expanding inner, ∼20 kpc-scale lobes observed in this restarted radio galaxy. The nuclear X-ray spectrum of the target clearly displays an ionized iron line at ∼6.7 keV, and is best fitted with a phenomenological model consisting of a power-law (photon index ≃ 1.8) continuum absorbed by a relatively large amount of cold matter (hydrogen column density ≃0.7 × 1023 cm−2), and partly scattered (fraction ∼3%) by ionized gas, giving rise to a soft excess component and Kα line from iron ions. We demonstrate that the observed X-ray spectrum, particularly the equivalent width of Fe XXV Kα (of order 0.3 keV) can in principle, be explained in a scenario involving a Compton-thin gas located at the scale of the broad-lined region in this source and photoionized by nuclear illumination. We compare the general spectral properties of the CGCG 292−057 nucleus, with those of other nearby LINERs studied in X-rays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fermi-LAT collaboration presented the second gamma-ray burst (GRB) catalog covering its first 10 years of operations. A significant fraction of afterglow-phase light curves in this catalog cannot be explained by the closure relations of the standard synchrotron forward-shock model, suggesting that there could be an important contribution from another process. In view of the above, we derive the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) light curves from the reverse shock in the thick- and thin-shell regime for a uniform-density medium. We show that this emission could explain the GeV flares exhibited in some LAT light curves. Additionally, we demonstrate that the passage of the forward shock synchrotron cooling break through the LAT band from jets expanding in a uniform-density environment may be responsible for the late time (≈102 s) steepening of LAT GRB afterglow light curves. As a particular case, we model the LAT light curve of GRB 160509A that exhibited a GeV flare together with a break in the long-lasting emission, and also two very high energy photons with energies of 51.9 and 41.5 GeV observed 76.5 and 242 s after the onset of the burst, respectively. Constraining the microphysical parameters and the circumburst density from the afterglow observations, we show that the GeV flare is consistent with an SSC reverse-shock model, the break in the long-lasting emission with the passage of the synchrotron cooling break through the Fermi-LAT band, and the very energetic photons with SSC emission from the forward shock, when the outflow carries a significant magnetic field (RB ≃ 30) and it decelerates in a uniform-density medium with a very low density (). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a formulation for a local cooling function to be employed in the diffuse, hot corona region of 3D GRMHD simulations of accreting black holes. This new cooling function calculates the cooling rate due to inverse Compton scattering by considering the relevant microphysics in each cell in the corona and approximating the radiation energy density and Compton temperature thereby integrating over the thermal seed photon flux from the disk surface. The method either assumes the ion and electron temperatures are equal (1T) or calculates them separately (2T) using an instantaneous equilibrium approach predicated on the actual relevant rate equations (Coulomb and Compton). The method is shown to be consistent with a more detailed ray-tracing calculation where the bulk of the cooling occurs, but is substantially less costly to perform. As an example, we apply these methods to a harm 3 d simulation of a 10M⊙, non-spinning black hole, accreting at nominally 1% the Eddington value. This new approach leads to radiative efficiency values ≃65% above Novikov–Thorne, with a larger fraction of total cooling in the corona as compared to simulations performed using the original target-temperature cooling function. Time-averaged post-processing reveals that the continuum spectral observations predicted from these simulations are qualitatively similar to actual X-ray binary data, especially so for the 1T approach, which yields a harder power-law component (Γ = 2.25) compared to the 2T version (Γ = 2.53). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the detection of extended X-ray emission from two high-redshift radio quasars. These quasars, J1405+0415 at z = 3.208 and J1610+1811 at z = 3.118, were observed in a Chandra snapshot survey selected from a complete sample of the radio-brightest quasars in the overlap area of the VLA-FIRST radio survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The extended X-ray emission is located along the line connecting the core to a radio knot or hotspot, favoring the interpretation of X-ray jets. The inferred rest-frame jet X-ray luminosities from 2 to 30 keV would be of order 1045 erg s−1 if emitted isotropically and without relativistic beaming. In the scenario of inverse Compton scattering of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), X-ray jets without a coincident radio counterpart may be common, and should be readily detectable to redshifts even beyond 3.2 due to the (1+z)4 increase of the CMB energy density compensating for the (1+z)−4 cosmological diminution of surface brightness. If these can be X-ray confirmed, they would be the second and third examples of quasar X-ray jets without detection of underlying continuous radio jets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on Chandra grating spectra of the stellar-mass black hole GRS 1915+105 obtained during a novel, highly obscured state. As the source entered this state, a dense, massive accretion disk wind was detected through strong absorption lines. Photoionization modeling indicates that it must originate close to the central engine, orders of magnitude from the outer accretion disk. Strong, nearly sinusoidal flux variability in this phase yielded a key insight: the wind is blueshifted when its column density is relatively low, but redshifted as it approaches the Compton-thick threshold. At no point does the wind appear to achieve the local escape velocity; in this sense, it is a "failed wind." Later observations suggest that the disk ultimately fails to keep even the central engine clear of gas, leading to heavily obscured and Compton-thick states characterized by very strong Fe K emission lines. Indeed, these later spectra are successfully described using models developed for obscured active galactic nuclei (AGNs). We discuss our results in terms of the remarkable similarity of GRS 1915+105 deep in its "obscured state" to Seyfert 2 and Compton-thick AGNs, and we explore how our understanding of accretion and obscuration in massive black holes is impacted by our observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on X-ray measurements constraining the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the high-redshift z = 5.18 blazar SDSS J013127.34−032100.1 with new XMM-Newton and NuSTAR exposures. The blazar's X-ray spectrum is well fit by a power law with Γ = 1.9 and , or a broken power law with , , and a break energy for an expected absorbing column density of , supported by spectral fitting of a nearby bright source. No additional spectral break is found at higher X-ray energies (1–30 keV). We supplement the X-ray data with lower-energy radio-to-optical measurements and Fermi-LAT gamma-ray upper limits, construct broadband SEDs of the source, and model the SEDs using a synchro-Compton scenario. This modeling constrains the bulk Doppler factor of the jets to ≥7 and ≥6 (90%) for the low- and high-NH SEDs, respectively. The corresponding beaming implies ≥130 (low NH) or (high NH) high-spin supermassive black holes similar to J0131 exist at similar redshifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using a large, highly obscured () active galactic nucleus (AGN) sample (294 sources at z ∼ 0–5) selected from detailed X-ray spectral analyses in the deepest Chandra surveys, we explore distributions of these X-ray sources in various optical/infrared/X-ray color–color diagrams and their host-galaxy properties, aiming at characterizing the nuclear obscuration environment and the triggering mechanism of highly obscured AGNs. We find that the refined Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) color–color diagram fails to identify the majority of X-ray-selected, highly obscured AGNs, even for the most luminous sources with. Over 80% of our sources will not be selected as heavily obscured candidates using the flux ratio of and R − K > 4.5 criteria, implying complex origins and conditions for the obscuring materials that are responsible for the heavy X-ray obscuration. The average star formation rate (SFR) of highly obscured AGNs is similar to that of stellar mass- (M*-) and z-controlled normal galaxies, while a lack of quiescent hosts is observed for the former. Partial correlation analyses imply that highly obscured AGN activity (traced by) appears to be more fundamentally related to M*, and no dependence of on either M* or SFR is detected. Morphology analyses reveal that 61% of our sources have a significant disk component, while only ∼27% of them exhibit irregular morphological signatures. These findings together point toward a scenario where secular processes (e.g., galactic-disk instabilities), instead of mergers, are most probable to be the leading mechanism that triggers accretion activities of X-ray-selected, highly obscured AGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cosmic thermal history, quantified by the evolution of the mean thermal energy density in the universe, is driven by the growth of structures as baryons get shock heated in collapsing dark matter halos. This process can be probed by redshift-dependent amplitudes of the thermal Sunyaev–Zeldovich (SZ) effect background. To do so, we cross-correlate eight sky intensity maps in the Planck and Infrared Astronomical Satellite missions with two million spectroscopic redshift references in the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys. This delivers snapshot spectra for the far-infrared to microwave background light as a function of redshift up to z ∼ 3. We decompose them into the SZ and thermal dust components. Our SZ measurements directly constrain , the halo bias-weighted mean electron pressure, up to z ∼ 1. This is the highest redshift achieved to date, with uncorrelated redshift bins thanks to the spectroscopic references. We detect a threefold increase in the density-weighted mean electron temperature from 7 × 105 K at z = 1 to 2 × 106 K today. Over z = 1–0, we witness the build-up of nearly 70% of the present-day mean thermal energy density ρth, with the corresponding density parameter Ωth reaching 1.5 × 10−8. We find the mass bias parameter of Planck's universal pressure profile of B = 1.27 (or 1 − b = 1/B = 0.79), consistent with the magnitude of nonthermal pressure in gas motion and turbulence from mass assembly. We estimate the redshift-integrated mean Compton parameter y ∼ 1.2 × 10−6, which will be tested by future spectral distortion experiments. More than half originates from the large-scale structure at z < 1, which we detect directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the spectral variability of the blazar 3C 279 in the optical to X-ray band between MJD 55100 and 58400 during which long-term radio variability was observed. We construct light curves and band spectra in each of the optical (2 × 1014–1.5 × 1015 Hz) and X-ray (0.3–10 keV) bands, measure the spectral parameters (flux F and spectral index α), and investigate the correlation between F and α within and across the bands. We find that the correlation of the optical properties dramatically change after ∼MJD 55500 and the light curves show more frequent activity after ∼MJD 57700. We therefore divide the time interval into three "states" based on the correlation properties and source activity in the light curves, and analyze each of the three states separately. We find various correlations between the spectral parameters in the states and an intriguing 65 day delay of the optical emission with respect to the X-ray one in state 2 (MJD 55500–57700). We attempt to explain these findings using a one-zone synchro-Compton emission scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the X-ray spectra of a sample of 19 obscured, optically selected Seyfert galaxies (Sy 1.8, 1.9, and 2) in the local universe (d ≤ 175 Mpc), drawn from the CfA Seyfert sample. Our analysis is driven by the high sensitivity of NuSTAR in the hard X-rays, coupled with soft X-ray spectra using XMM-Newton, Chandra, Suzaku, and Swift/XRT. We also analyze the optical spectra of these sources in order to obtain accurate mass estimates and Eddington fractions. We employ four different models to analyze the X-ray spectra of these sources, which all provide consistent results. We find that 79%–90% of the sources are heavily obscured with line-of-sight column density NH > 1023 cm−2. We also find a Compton-thick (NH > 1024 cm−2) fraction of 37%–53%. These results are consistent with previous estimates based on multiwavelength analyses. We find that the fraction of reprocessed to intrinsic emission is positively correlated with NH and negatively correlated with the intrinsic, unabsorbed X-ray luminosity (in agreement with the Iwasawa–Taniguchi effect). Our results support the hypothesis that radiation pressure regulates the distribution of the circumnuclear material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-precision measurement of the isotropic diffuse γ-ray background (IGRB) has been extrapolated to the TeV energy region using the Fermi-LAT experiment. Various kinds of astrophysical sources are candidates for its origin. However, a consensus on the dominant source has been difficult to reach. Recent observations of the γ-ray emission of γ-ray bursts (GRBs), denoted as the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) component in the afterglow phase, in the sub-TeV energy region by MAGIC and HESS experiments shed new light on this topic. In this work, we revisit the contribution from the SSC component of GRBs to the IGRB. First, a sample set of GRB events is obtained and examined using observations from Fermi-LAT. Second, the SSC component, described by the energy ratio Rext and spectral index βext, is assigned to every GRB event. We can obtain the total spectrum contribution based on this GRB sample. We find that when Rext and βext reach ∼20% and −1.6, respectively, the contribution from GRB emission dominates in the energy region of hundreds of GeV. We hope that the LHAASO and CTA experiments under construction can observe a large number of GRBs to fix those parameters in coming years. A surviving tail is expected, which can serve to check our calculations based on future satellite experiments such as HERD and GAMMA400. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent Chandra discovery of extended ∼kiloparsec-scale hard (>3 keV) X-ray emission in nearby Compton-thick (CT) active galactic nuclei (AGN) opens a new window to improving AGN torus modeling and investigating how the central supermassive black hole interacts with and impacts the host galaxy. Since there are only a handful of detections so far, we need to establish a statistical sample to determine the ubiquity of the extended hard X-ray emission in CT AGN and quantify the amount and extent of this component. In this paper, we present the spatial analysis results of a pilot Chandra imaging survey of seven nearby () CT AGN selected from the Swift-BAT spectroscopic AGN survey. We find that five out of the seven CT AGN show extended emission in the 3–7 keV band detected at >3σ above the Chandra point-spread function (PSF), with ∼12%–22% of the total emission in the extended components. ESO 137-G034 and NGC 3281 display biconical ionization structures with extended hard X-ray emission reaching kiloparsec scales (∼1.9 and 3.5 kpc in diameter). The other three show extended hard X-ray emission above the PSF out to at least ∼360 pc in radius. We find a trend that a minimum 3–7 keV count rate of 0.01 counts s−1 and total excess fraction >20% are required to detect a prominent extended hard X-ray component. Given that this extended hard X-ray component appears to be relatively common in this uniformly selected CT AGN sample, we further discuss the implications for torus modeling and AGN feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive analysis of Chandra X-ray observations of 15 young radio quasars at redshifts 4.5 < z < 5.0. All sources are detected in the 0.5–7.0 keV energy band. Emission spectra are extracted, and the average photon index for the sample is measured to be 1.5 ± 0.1. Unabsorbed rest-frame 2–10 keV luminosities are found to range between (0.5–23.2) × 1045 erg s−1. The optical–X-ray power-law spectral index is calculated for each source using optical/UV data available in the literature. The –UV relationship is compared with other quasar surveys, and an anticorrelation is observed that agrees with independent estimates. Rest-frame radio and X-ray luminosities are established for the sample, and a correlation between the luminosities is detected. These multiwavelength results reinforce a lack of spectral evolution for quasars over a broad redshift range. We additionally identify three quasars from our multiwavelength analysis that are statistically significant outliers, with one source being a Compton-thick candidate in the early universe, and discuss each in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flaring activity of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) can be analyzed by statistical means to test emission models for its accretion flow. A particular modeling question is whether the observed X-ray flares are the high-energy end of a synchrotron spectrum or if they arise from self-Comptonized photons of a lower-energy synchrotron process. We use already published Chandra X-ray Visionary Project data to statistically investigate the X-ray count-rate distribution of Sgr A*. Two previous workgroups have already undertaken such an analysis on that data. They modeled the flaring part of the emission with a bounded power law, i.e., a power-law distribution with a hard cutoff at the highest measured count rate. With this model, both teams obtain a power-law index. We show that the flare count-rate distribution can also be well described by a truncated, i.e., an exponentially decaying power law. We argue that an exponential truncation is a more natural model than a hard cutoff. With this alternate model, our fit yields a power-law index. We find that this slope can be canonically explained by a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) process. Therefore, we argue that SSC models are the best ones suitable to explain the observed X-ray count-rate distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2HWC J1928+177 is a Galactic TeV gamma-ray source detected by the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory up to ∼56 TeV. The HAWC source, later confirmed by the High Energy Stereoscopic System, still remains unidentified as a dark accelerator since there is no apparent supernova remnant or pulsar wind nebula detected in the lower-energy bands. The radio pulsar PSR J1928+1746, coinciding with the HAWC source position, has no X-ray counterpart. Our SED modeling shows that inverse Compton scattering in the putative pulsar wind nebula can account for the TeV emission only if the unseen nebula is extended beyond. Alternatively, TeV gamma-rays may be produced by hadronic interactions between relativistic protons from an undetected supernova remnant associated with the radio pulsar and a nearby molecular cloud G52.9+0.1. NuSTAR and Chandra observations detected a variable X-ray point source within the HAWC error circle, potentially associated with a bright infrared (IR) source. The X-ray spectra can be fitted with an absorbed power-law model with NH = (9 ± 3) × 1022 cm−2 and ΓX = 1.6 ± 0.3 and exhibit long-term X-ray flux variability over the last decade. If the X-ray source, possibly associated with the IR source (likely an O star), is the counterpart of the HAWC source, it may be a new TeV gamma-ray binary powered by collisions between the pulsar wind and stellar wind. Follow-up X-ray observations are warranted to search for diffuse X-ray emission and determine the nature of the HAWC source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot dust-obscured galaxies (Hot DOGs) are among the most luminous galaxies in the universe. Powered by highly obscured, possibly Compton-thick, active galactic nuclei (AGNs), Hot DOGs are characterized by spectral energy distributions that are very red in the mid-infrared yet dominated by the host galaxy stellar emission in the UV and optical. An earlier study identified a subsample of Hot DOGs with significantly enhanced UV emission. One target, W0204–0506, was studied in detail and, based on Chandra observations, it was concluded that the enhanced emission was most likely due to either extreme unobscured star formation (star formation rate > 1000 M⊙ yr−1) or to light from the highly obscured AGN scattered by gas or dust into our line of sight. Here, we present a follow-up study of W0204–0506 as well as two more Hot DOGs with excess UV emission. For the two new objects we obtained Chandra/ACIS-S observations, and for all three targets we obtained Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3 F555W and F160W imaging. The analysis of these observations, combined with multiwavelength photometry and UV/optical spectroscopy suggests that UV emission is most likely dominated by light from the central highly obscured, hyperluminous AGN that has been scattered into our line of sight, by either gas or dust. We cannot decisively rule out, however, that star formation or a second AGN in the system may significantly contribute to the UV excess of these targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of bremsstrahlung in the emission from hot accretion flows around slowly accreting supermassive black holes is not thoroughly understood. In order to appraise the importance of bremsstrahlung relative to other radiative processes, we compute spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of accretion disks around slowly accreting supermassive black holes including synchrotron radiation, inverse Compton scattering, and bremsstrahlung. We compute SEDs for (i) four axisymmetric radiative general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RadGRMHD) simulations of 108M⊙ black holes with accretion rates between and , (ii) four axisymmetric RadGRMHD simulations of M87* with varying dimensionless spin a* and black hole mass, and (iii) a 3D GRMHD simulation scaled for Sgr A*. At , most of the luminosity is synchrotron radiation, while at the three radiative processes have similar luminosities. In most models, bremsstrahlung dominates the SED near 512 keV. In the M87* models, bremsstrahlung dominates this part of the SED if a* = 0.5, but inverse Compton scattering dominates if a* = 0.9375. Since scattering is more variable than bremsstrahlung, this result suggests that 512 keV variability could be a diagnostic of black hole spin. In the Appendix, we compare some bremsstrahlung formulae found in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large fraction of accreting black hole and neutron star systems present clear evidence of the reprocessing of X-rays in the atmosphere of an optically thick accretion disk. The main hallmarks of X-ray reflection include fluorescent K-shell emission lines from iron (∼6.4–6.9 keV), the absorption iron K-edge (∼7–9 keV), and a broad featureless component known as the Compton hump (∼20–40 keV). This Compton hump is produced as the result of the scattering of high-energy photons (E ≳ 10 keV) of the relatively colder electrons (Te ∼ 105–107 K) in the accretion disk, in combination with photoelectric absorption from iron. The treatment of this process in most current models of ionized X-ray reflection has been done using an approximated Gaussian redistribution kernel. This approach works sufficiently well up to ∼100 keV, but it becomes largely inaccurate at higher energies and at relativistic temperatures (Te ∼ 109 K). We present new calculations of X-ray reflection using a modified version of our code xillver , including an accurate solution for Compton scattering of the reflected unpolarized photons in the disk atmosphere. This solution takes into account quantum electrodynamic and relativistic effects allowing the correct treatment of high photon energies and electron temperatures. We show new reflection spectra computed with this model, and discuss the improvements achieved in reproducing the correct shape of the Compton hump, the discrepancies with previous calculations, and the expected impact of these new models in the interpretation of observational data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have conducted an extensive X-ray spectral variability study of a sample of 20 Compton-thin type II galaxies using broadband spectra from XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Suzaku. The aim is to study the variability of the neutral intrinsic X-ray obscuration along the line of sight and investigate the properties and location of the dominant component of the X-ray-obscuring gas. The observations are sensitive to absorption columns of ∼ 1020.5–24 cm−2 of fully and partially covering neutral and/or lowly ionized gas on timescales spanning days to well over a decade. We detected variability in the column density of the full-covering absorber in 7/20 sources, on timescales of months to years, indicating a component of compact-scale X-ray-obscuring gas lying along the line of sight of each of these objects. Our results imply that torus models incorporating clouds or over-dense regions should account for line-of-sight column densities as low as ∼a few ×1021 cm−2. However, 13/20 sources yielded no detection of significant variability in the full-covering obscurer, with upper limits of ΔNH spanning 1021–23 cm−2. The dominant absorbing media in these systems could be distant, such as kiloparsec-scale dusty structures associated with the host galaxy, or a homogeneous medium along the line of sight. Thus, we find that overall, strong variability in full-covering obscurers is not highly prevalent in Compton-thin type IIs, at least for our sample, in contrast to previous results in the literature. Finally, 11/20 sources required a partial-covering, obscuring component in all or some of their observations, consistent with clumpy near-Compton-thick compact-scale gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on orbital modulation of the 100–600 MeV gamma-ray emission of the PB = 4.6 hr millisecond pulsar binary PSR J2339−0533 using 11 yr of Fermi Large Area Telescope data. The modulation has high significance (chance probability p ≈ 10−7), is approximately sinusoidal, peaks near pulsar superior conjunction, and is detected only in the low-energy 100–600 MeV band. The modulation is confined to the on-pulse interval, suggesting that the variation is in the 2.9 ms pulsed signal itself. This contrasts with the few other known systems exhibiting GeV orbital modulations, as these are unpulsed and generally associated with beamed emission from an intrabinary shock. The origin of the modulated pulsed signal is not yet clear, although we describe several scenarios, including Compton upscattering of photons from the heated companion. This would require high coherence in the striped pulsar wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have analyzed the broadband X-ray spectra of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in two "nonmerging" luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs), UGC 2608 and NGC 5135, utilizing the data of Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, Suzaku, XMM-Newton, and Chandra. Applying the X-ray clumpy-torus model (XCLUMPY), we find that both sources have similar spectra characterized by Compton-thick (CT) absorption (∼ 5–7 × 1024 cm−2) and small torus angular width (σ < 20°). The intrinsic 2–10 keV luminosities are × 1043 erg s−1 (UGC 2608) and × 1043 erg s−1 (NGC 5135). The [O iv ]-to-nuclear-12 μm luminosity ratios are larger than those of typical Seyferts, which are consistent with the torus covering factors (0.7) estimated from the torus angular widths and column densities by X-ray spectroscopy. The torus covering factors and Eddington ratios (∼ 0.1) follow the relation found by Ricci et al. for local AGNs, implying that their tori become geometrically thin, due to significant radiation pressure of the AGN that blows out some part of the tori. These results indicate that the CT AGNs in these "nonmerger" LIRGs are just a normal AGN population seen edge-on through a large line-of-sight column density. They are in contrast to the buried CT AGNs in late-stage mergers that have large torus covering factors even at large Eddington ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Almost 10 yr of γ-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope have revealed extreme γ-ray outbursts from flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), temporarily making these objects the brightest γ-ray emitters in the sky. Yet, the location and mechanisms of the γ-ray emission remain elusive. We characterize long-term γ-ray variability and the brightest γ-ray flares of six FSRQs. Consecutively zooming in on the brightest flares, which we identify in an objective way through Bayesian blocks and a hill-climbing algorithm, we find variability on subhour timescales and as short as minutes for two sources in our sample (3C 279 and CTA 102) and weak evidence for variability at timescales less than the Fermi satellite's orbit of 95 minutes for PKS 1510–089 and 3C 454.3. This suggests extremely compact emission regions in the jet. We do not find any signs of γ-ray absorption in the broad-line region (BLR), which indicates that γ-rays are produced at distances greater than hundreds of gravitational radii from the central black hole. This is further supported by a cross-correlation analysis between γ-ray and radio/millimeter light curves, which is consistent with γ-ray production at the same location as the millimeter core for 3C 273, CTA 102, and 3C 454.3. The inferred locations of the γ-ray production zones are still consistent with the observed decay times of the brightest flares if the decay is caused by external Compton scattering with BLR photons. However, the minute-scale variability is challenging to explain in such scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extend our approach of modeling spectral energy distribution (SED) and light curves of blazars to include external Compton (EC) emission due to inverse Compton scattering of an external anisotropic target radiation field. We describe the time-dependent impact of such seed photon fields on the evolution of multifrequency emission and spectral variability of blazars using a multi-zone time-dependent leptonic jet model, with radiation feedback, in the internal shock model scenario. We calculate accurate EC-scattered high-energy (HE) spectra produced by relativistic electrons throughout the Thomson and Klein-Nishina regimes. We explore the effects of varying the contribution of (1) a thermal Shakura-Sunyaev accretion disk, (2) a spherically symmetric shell of broad-line clouds, the broad-line region (BLR), and (3) a hot infrared emitting dusty torus (DT), on the resultant seed photon fields. We let the system evolve to beyond the BLR and within the DT and study the manifestation of the varying target photon fields on the simulated SED and light curves of a typical blazar. The calculations of broadband spectra include effects of γ-γ absorption as γ-rays propagate through the photon pool present inside the jet due to synchrotron and inverse Compton processes, but neglect γ-γ absorption by the BLR and DT photon fields outside the jet. Thus, our account of γ-γ absorption is a lower limit to this effect. Here, we focus on studying the impact of parameters relevant for EC processes on HE emission of blazars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchrotron radiation and Compton scattering are widely accepted as the most likely emission mechanisms of some astrophysical phenomena, such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and active galactic nuclei. The measurement of the polarization of photons provides a useful tool to distinguish different emission mechanisms and structures of the emission region. Based on the differential cross section of a polarized photon scattered by an unpolarized electron of any initial momentum, we derive an analytical formula of polarization for beamed photons scattered by isotropic electrons with a power-law distribution. Numerical calculations are carried out in four special cases: electrons at rest, Thomson limit, head-on collision, and monochromatic electrons. It is found that the maximum polarization can be as high as 100% for low energy photons, if the electrons are at rest. Although polarization is highly suppressed due to the isotropic electrons, a maximum value of ∼10%-20% can still be achieved. The Compton scattering process can be used to explain the polarization of GRB 041219A and GRB 100826A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of a ∼160 ks NuSTAR observation of the nearby bright Seyfert galaxy IC 4329A. The high-quality broadband spectrum enables us to separate the effects of distant reflection from the direct coronal continuum, and to therefore accurately measure the high-energy cutoff to be . The coronal emission arises from accretion disk photons Compton up-scattered by a thermal plasma, with the spectral index and cutoff being due to a combination of the finite plasma temperature and optical depth. Applying standard Comptonization models, we measure both physical properties independently using the best signal to noise obtained to date in an active galactic nucleus over the 3-79 keV band. We derive with assuming a slab geometry for the plasma, and with for a spherical geometry, with both having an equivalent goodness-of-fit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the quantum electrodynamics, we present a generic formalism of the polarization for beamed monochromatic photons scattered by electrons in any spectral distribution. The formulae reduce to the components of the Fano matrix when electrons are at rest. We mainly investigate the polarization in three scenarios, i.e., electrons at rest, isotropic electrons with a power-law spectrum, and thermal electrons. If the incident beam is polarized, the polarization is reduced significantly by isotropic electrons at large viewing angles; the degree of polarization caused by thermal electrons is about half of that caused by power-law electrons. If the incident bean is unpolarized, soft γ-rays can lead to about 15% polarization at viewing angles around π/4. For isotropic electrons, one remarkable feature is that the polarization as a function of the incident photon energy always peaks roughly at 1 MeV; this is valid for both the thermal and power-law cases. This feature can be used to distinguish the model of the inverse Compton scattering from that of the synchrotron radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]