THE TWO-PHASE, TWO-VELOCITY IONIZED ABSORBER IN THE SEYFERT 1 GALAXY NGC 5548
- Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 70-264, 04510 Mexico DF (Mexico)
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138 (United States)
- Ohio State University, 140 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)
We present an analysis of X-ray high-quality grating spectra of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 using archival Chandra-High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer and Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer observations for a total exposure time of 800 ks. The continuum emission (between 0.2 keV and 8 keV) is well represented by a power law (GAMMA = 1.6) plus a blackbody component (kT = 0.1 keV). We find that the well-known X-ray warm absorber (WA) in this source consists of two different outflow velocity systems. One absorbing system has a velocity of -1110 +- 150 km s{sup -1} and the other of -490 +- 150 km s{sup -1}. Recognizing the presence of these kinematically distinct components allows each system to be fitted independently, each with two absorption components with different ionization levels. The high-velocity system consists of two components, one with a temperature of 2.7 +- 0.6 x 10{sup 6} K, log U = 1.23, and another with a temperature of 5.8 +- 1.0 x 10{sup 5} K, log U = 0.67. The high-velocity, high-ionization component produces absorption by charge states Fe XXI-XXIV, while the high-velocity, low-ionization component produces absorption by Ne IX-X, Fe XVII-XX, and O VII-VIII. The low-velocity system also required two absorbing components, one with a temperature of 5.8 +- 0.8 x 10{sup 5} K, log U = 0.67, producing absorption by Ne IX-X, Fe XVII-XX, and O VII-VIII, and the other with a lower temperature of 3.5 +- 0.35 x 10{sup 4} K and a lower ionization of log U = -0.49, producing absorption by O VI-VII and the Fe VII-XII M-shell Unresolved Transitions Array. Once these components are considered, the data do not require any further absorbers. In particular, a model consisting of a continuous radial range of ionization structures (as suggested by a previous analysis) is not required. The two absorbing components in each velocity system are in pressure equilibrium with each other. This suggests that each velocity system consists of a multi-phase medium. This is the first time that different outflow velocity systems have been modeled independently in the X-ray band for this source. The kinematic components and column densities found from the X-rays are in agreement with the main kinematic components found in the UV absorber. This supports the idea that the UV and X-ray absorbing gas is part of the same phenomenon. NGC 5548 can now be seen to fit in a pattern established for other WAs: two or three discrete phases in pressure equilibrium. There are no remaining cases of a well-studied WA in which a model consisting of a multi-phase medium is not viable.
- OSTI ID:
- 21394324
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 711, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/711/2/888; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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