The Suzaku Observation of the Nucleus of theRadio-Loud Active Galaxy Centaurus A: Constraints on Abundances of the Accreting Material
A Suzaku observation of the nucleus of the radio-loud AGN Centaurus A in 2005 has yielded a broadband spectrum spanning 0.3 to 250 keV. The net exposure times after screening were: 70 ks per X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) camera, 60.8 ks for the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD) PIN, and 17.1 ks for the HXD-GSO. The hard X-rays are fit by two power-laws of the same slope, absorbed by columns of 1.5 and 7 x 10{sup 23} cm{sup -2} respectively. The spectrum is consistent with previous suggestions that the power-law components are X-ray emission from the sub-pc VLBI jet and from Bondi accretion at the core, but it is also consistent with a partial covering interpretation. The soft band is dominated by thermal emission from the diffuse plasma and is fit well by a two-temperature vapec model, plus a third power-law component to account for scattered nuclear emission, jet emission, and emission from X-ray Binaries and other point sources. Narrow fluorescent emission lines from Fe, Si, S, Ar, Ca and Ni are detected. The Fe K{alpha} line width yields a 200 light-day lower limit on the distance from the black hole to the line-emitting gas. Fe, Ca, and S K-shell absorption edges are detected. Elemental abundances are constrained via absorption edge depths and strengths of the fluorescent and diffuse plasma emission lines. The high metallicity ([Fe/H]=+0.1) of the circumnuclear material suggests that it could not have originated in the relatively metal-poor outer halo unless enrichment by local star formation has occurred. Relative abundances are consistent with enrichment from Type II and Ia supernovae.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515;
- OSTI ID:
- 909308
- Report Number(s):
- SLAC-PUB-12502; arXiv:0704.3743
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
THE KINEMATICS AND IONIZATION OF NUCLEAR GAS CLOUDS IN CENTAURUS A
SUZAKU VIEW OF X-RAY SPECTRAL VARIABILITY OF THE RADIO GALAXY CENTAURUS A: PARTIAL COVERING ABSORBER, REFLECTOR, AND POSSIBLE JET COMPONENT
Limits on X-Ray Polarization at the Core of Centaurus A as Observed with the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer
Journal Article
·
Wed Mar 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013
· Astrophysical Journal
·
OSTI ID:22167569
SUZAKU VIEW OF X-RAY SPECTRAL VARIABILITY OF THE RADIO GALAXY CENTAURUS A: PARTIAL COVERING ABSORBER, REFLECTOR, AND POSSIBLE JET COMPONENT
Journal Article
·
Mon Dec 19 23:00:00 EST 2011
· Astrophysical Journal
·
OSTI ID:22004479
Limits on X-Ray Polarization at the Core of Centaurus A as Observed with the Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer
Journal Article
·
Sun Aug 21 20:00:00 EDT 2022
· The Astrophysical Journal
·
OSTI ID:2429264