Failed disc winds: a physical origin for the soft X-ray excess?

The origin of the soft X-ray excess emission observed in many type-1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) has been an unresolved problem in X-ray astronomy for over two decades. We develop the model proposed by Gierliński & Done, which models the soft excess with heavily smeared, ionized, absorption, by including the emission that must be associated with this absorption. We show that, rather than hindering the ionized absorption model, the addition of the emission actually helps this model reproduce the soft excess. The emission fills in some of the absorption trough, while preserving the sharp rise at ∼1 keV, allowing the total model to reproduce the soft excess curvature from a considerably wider range of model parameters. We demonstrate that this model is capable of reproducing even the strongest soft X-ray excesses by fitting it to the XMM–Newton EPIC PN spectrum of PG1211+143, with good results. The addition of the emission reduces the column density required to fit these data by a factor of ∼2 and reduces the smearing velocity from ∼0.28c to ∼0.2c. Gierliński & Done suggested a tentative origin for the absorption in the innermost, accelerating, region of an accretion disc wind, and we highlight the advantages of this interpretation in comparison to accretion disc reflection models of the soft excess. Associating this material with a wind off the accretion disc results in several separate problems however, namely, the radial nature, and the massive implied mass-loss rate, of the wind. We propose an origin in a 'failed wind', where the central X-ray source is strong enough to overionize the wind, removing the acceleration through line absorption before the material reaches escape velocity, allowing the material to fall back to the disc at larger radii.     

RE J1034+396: the origin of the soft X-ray excess and quasi-periodic oscillation

The X-ray quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) seen in RE J1034+396 is so far unique amongst active galactic nuclei (AGN). Here, we look at another unique feature of RE J1034+396, namely its huge soft X-ray excess, to see if this is related in any way to the detection of the QPO. We show that all potential models considered for the soft energy excess can fit the 0.3–10 keV X-ray spectrum, but the energy dependence of the rapid variability (which is dominated by the QPO) strongly supports a spectral decomposition where the soft excess is from low-temperature Comptonization of the disc emission and remains mostly constant, while the rapid variability is produced by the power-law tail changing in normalization. The presence of the QPO in the tail rather than in the disc is a common feature in black hole binaries (BHBs), but low-temperature Comptonization of the disc spectrum is not generally seen in these systems. The main exception to this is GRS 1915+105, the only BHB which routinely shows super-Eddington luminosities. We speculate that the super-Eddington accretion rates lead to a change in disc structure, and that this also triggers the X-ray QPO.     

Models of the iron Kα fluorescent line and the Compton Shoulder in irradiated accretion disc spectra

We present a full set of model atmosphere equations for the accretion disc around a supermassive black hole irradiated by a hard X-ray lamp of power-law spectral distribution. Model equations allow for multiple Compton scattering of radiation on free electrons, and for large relative photon–electron energy exchange at the time of scattering. We present spectra in specific intensities integrated over the disc surface. Theoretical outgoing intensity spectra show soft X-ray excess below 1 keV, and distinct Kα and Kβ fluorescent lines of iron. We demonstrate the existence of the Compton Shoulder and claim that it can contribute to the asymmetry and equivalent widths of some observed Fe Kα lines in active galactic nuclei. Our models exhibit the effect of limb-brightening in reflected X-rays.     

An XMM–Newton observation of Ton S180: constraints on the continuum emission in ultrasoft Seyfert galaxies

We present an XMM–Newton observation of the bright, narrow-line, ultrasoft type 1 Seyfert galaxy Ton S180. The  0.3–10 keV  X-ray spectrum is steep and curved, showing a steep slope above 2.5 keV  (Γ∼ 2.3)  and a smooth, featureless excess of emission at lower energies. The spectrum can be adequately parametrized using a simple double power-law model. The source is strongly variable over the course of the observation but shows only weak spectral variability, with the fractional variability amplitude remaining approximately constant over more than a decade in energy. The curved continuum shape and weak spectral variability are discussed in terms of various physical models for the soft X-ray excess emission, including reflection off the surface of an ionized accretion disc, inverse Compton scattering of soft disc photons by thermal electrons, and Comptonization by electrons with a hybrid thermal/non-thermal distribution. We emphasize the possibility that the strong soft excess may be produced by dissipation of accretion energy in the hot, upper atmosphere of the putative accretion disc.     

An explanation for the soft X-ray excess in active galactic nuclei

We present a large sample of type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) spectra taken with XMM–Newton , and fit them with both the conventional model (a power law and blackbody) and the relativistically blurred photoionized disc reflection model of Ross & Fabian. We find that the disc reflection model is a better fit. The disc reflection model successfully reproduces the continuum shape, including the soft excess, of all the sources. The model also reproduces many features that would conventionally be interpreted as absorption edges. We are able to use the model to infer the properties of the sources, specifically that the majority of black holes in the sample are strongly rotating, and that there is a deficit in sources with an inclination >70°. We conclude that the disc reflection model is an important tool in the study of AGN X-ray spectra.     

The evolution of misaligned accretion discs and spinning black holes

In this paper, we consider the process of alignment of a spinning black hole and a surrounding misaligned accretion disc. We use a simplified set of equations, that describe the evolution of the system in the case where the propagation of warping disturbances in the accretion disc occurs diffusively, a situation likely to be common in the thin discs in active galactic nuclei (AGN). We also allow the direction of the hole spin to move under the action of the disc torques. In such a way, the evolution of the hole–disc system is computed self-consistently. We consider a number of different situations and we explore the relevant parameter range, by varying the location of the warp radius R _w and the propagation speed of the warp. We find that the dissipation associated with the twisting of the disc results in a large increase in the accretion rate through the disc, so that AGN accreting from a misaligned disc are likely to be significantly more luminous than those accreting from a flat disc. We compute explicitly the time-scales for the warping of the disc and for the alignment process and compare our results with earlier estimates based on simplified steady-state solutions. We also confirm earlier predictions that, under appropriate circumstances, accretion can proceed in a counter-aligned fashion, so that the accreted material will spin-down the hole, rather than spinning it up. Our results have implication in a number of different observational features of AGN such as the orientation and shape of jets, the shape of X-ray iron lines and the possibility of obscuration and absorption of X-ray by the outer disc as well as the general issue of the spin history of black holes during their growth.     

Relativistic reflection X-ray spectra of accretion disks

We have calculated the relativistic reflection component of the X-ray spectra of accretion disks in active galactic nuclei (AGN). Our calculations have shown that the spectra can be significantly modified by the motion of the accretion flow, and the gravity and rotation of the central black hole. The absorption edges in the spectra suffer severe en- ergy shifts and smearing, and the degree of distortion depends on the system parameters, in particular, the inner radius of the accretion disk and the disk viewing inclination angles. The effects are significant. Fluorescent X-ray emission lines from the inner accretion disk could be a powerful diagnostic of space-time distortion and dynamical relativistic effects near the event horizons of accreting black holes. However, improper treatment of the re- flection component in fitting the X-ray continuum could give rise to spurious line-like features. These features mimic the true fluorescent emission lines and may mask their relativistic signatures. Fully relativistic models for reflection continua together with the emission lines are needed in order to extract black-hole parameters from the AGN X-ray spectra.     

X-ray absorption and reflection in active galactic nuclei

X-ray spectroscopy offers an opportunity to study the complex mixture of emitting and absorbing components in the circumnuclear regions of active galactic nuclei (AGN), and to learn about the accretion process that fuels AGN and the feedback of material to their host galaxies. We describe the spectral signatures that may be studied and review the X-ray spectra and spectral variability of active galaxies, concentrating on progress from recent Chandra, XMM-Newton and Suzaku data for local type 1 AGN. We describe the evidence for absorption covering a wide range of column densities, ionization and dynamics, and discuss the growing evidence for partial-covering absorption from data at energies ≳ 10 keV. Such absorption can also explain the observed X-ray spectral curvature and variability in AGN at lower energies and is likely an important factor in shaping the observed properties of this class of source. Consideration of self-consistent models for local AGN indicates that X-ray spectra likely comprise a combination of absorption and reflection effects from material originating within a few light days of the black hole as well as on larger scales. It is likely that AGN X-ray spectra may be strongly affected by the presence of disk-wind outflows that are expected in systems with high accretion rates, and we describe models that attempt to predict the effects of radiative transfer through such winds, and discuss the prospects for new data to test and address these ideas.     

The effective temperature distribution of steady-state, mass-losing accretion discs

Mass loss appears to be a common phenomenon among astrophysical accretion disc systems. An outflow emanating from an accretion disc can act as a sink for mass, angular momentum and energy, and can therefore alter the dissipation rates and effective temperatures across the disc. Here, the radial distributions of dissipation rate and effective temperature across a Keplerian, steady-state, mass-losing accretion disc are derived, using a simple, parametric approach that is sufficiently general to be applicable to many types of dynamical disc–wind models.
Effective temperature distributions for mass-losing accretion discs in cataclysmic variables are shown explicitly, with parameters chosen to describe both radiation-driven and centrifugally driven outflows. For realistic wind mass-loss rates of a few per cent, only centrifugally driven outflows – particularly those in which mass loss is concentrated in the inner disc – are likely to alter the effective temperature distribution of the disc significantly. Accretion discs that drive such outflows could produce spectra and eclipse light curves that are noticeably different from those produced by standard, conservative discs.     

Optical spectroscopy of GX 339−4 during the high–soft and low–hard states – II. Line ionization and emission region

We have carried out observations of the X-ray transient GX 339−4 during its high–soft and low–hard X-ray spectral states. Our high-resolution spectroscopic observation in 1999 April suggests that the H α line has a single-peaked profile in the low–hard state as speculated in our previous paper. The He  ii λ 4686 line, however, has a double-peaked profile in both the high–soft and low–hard states. This suggests that the line-emission mechanism is different in the two states. Our interpretation is that double-peaked lines are emitted from a temperature-inversion layer on the accretion disc surface when it is irradiatively heated by soft X-rays. Single-peaked lines may be emitted from outflow/wind matter driven by hard X-ray heating. We have constructed a simple plane-parallel model and we use it to illustrate that a temperature-inversion layer can be formed at the disc surface under X-ray illumination. We also discuss the conditions required for the formation of temperature inversion and line emission. Based on the velocity separations measured for the double-peaked lines in the high–soft state, we propose that GX 339−4 is a low-inclination binary system. The orbital inclination is about 15° if the orbital period is 14.8 h.     

On the complex disc–corona interactions in the soft spectral states of soft X-ray transients

Accreting black holes show a complex and diverse behaviour in their soft spectral states. Although these spectra are dominated by a soft, thermal component which almost certainly arises from an accretion disc, there is also a hard X-ray tail indicating that some fraction of the accretion power is instead dissipated in hot, optically thin coronal material. During such states, best observed in the early outburst of soft X-ray transients, the ratio of power dissipated in the hot corona to that in the disc can vary from ∼ 0 (pure disc accretion) to ∼ 1 (equal power in each). Here we present results of spectral analyses of a number of sources, demonstrating the presence of complex features in their energy spectra. Our main findings are: (1) the soft components are not properly described by a thermal emission from accretion discs: they are appreciably broader than can be described by disc blackbody models even including relativistic effects, and (2) the spectral features near     commonly seen in such spectra can be well described by reprocessing of hard X-rays by optically thick, highly ionized, relativistically moving plasma.     

Multidimensional modelling of X-ray spectra for AGN accretion disc outflows

We use a multidimensional Monte Carlo code to compute X-ray spectra for a variety of active galactic nucleus (AGN) disc–wind outflow geometries. We focus on the formation of blueshifted absorption features in the Fe K band and show that line features similar to those which have been reported in observations are often produced for lines of sight through disc–wind geometries. We also discuss the formation of other spectral features in highly ionized outflows. In particular, we show that, for sufficiently high wind densities, moderately strong Fe K emission lines can form and that electron scattering in the flow may cause these lines to develop extended red wings. We illustrate the potential relevance of such models to the interpretation of real X-ray data by comparison with observations of a well-known AGN, Mrk 766.     

Magnetized accretion flows: effects of gas pressure

We study how axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) accretion flows depend on γ adiabatic index in the polytropic equation of state. This work is an extension of Mościbrodzka & Proga, where we investigated the γ dependence of two-dimensional Bondi-like accretion flows in the hydrodynamical (HD) limit. Our main goal is to study if simulations for various γ can give us insights into the problem of various modes of accretion observed in several types of accretion systems, such as black hole binaries (BHBs), active galactic nuclei (AGN) and gamma-ray bursts. We find that for  γ≳ 4/3  , the fast-rotating flow forms a thick torus that is supported by rotation and gas pressure. As shown before for  γ= 5/3  , such a torus produces a strong, persistent bipolar outflow that can significantly reduce the polar funnel accretion of a slowly rotating flow. For low γ, close to 1, the torus is thin and is supported by rotation. The thin torus produces an unsteady outflow which is too weak to propagate throughout the polar funnel inflow. Compared to their HD counterparts, the MHD simulations show that the magnetized torus can produce an outflow and does not exhibit regular oscillations. Generally, our simulations demonstrate how the torus thickness affects the outflow production. They also support the notion that the geometrical thickness of the torus correlates with the power of the torus outflow. Our results, applied to observations, suggest that the torus ability to radiatively cool and become thin can correspond to a suppression of a jet as observed in the BHBs during a transition from a hard/low to soft/high spectral state and a transition from a quiescent to hard/low state in AGN.     

Multiwavelength XMM–Newton observations of the Laor et al. sample of PG quasars

We present XMM–Newton /EPIC spectra for the Laor et al. sample of Palomar Green (PG) quasars. We find that a power law provides a reasonable fit to the 2–5 keV region of the spectra. Excess soft X-ray emission below 2 keV is present for all objects, with the exception of those known to contain a warm absorber. However, a single power law is a poor fit to the 0.3–10.0 keV spectrum and instead we find that a simple model, consisting of a broken power law (plus an iron line), provides a reasonable fit in most cases. The equivalent width of the emission line is constrained in just 12 objects but with low (<2σ) significance in most cases. For the sources whose spectra are well fitted by the broken-power-law model, we find that various optical and X-ray line and continuum parameters are well correlated; in particular, the power-law photon index is well correlated with the FWHM of the Hβ line and the photon indices of the low- and high-energy components of the broken power law are well correlated with each other. These results suggest that the 0.3–10 keV X-ray emission shares a common (presumably non-thermal) origin, as opposed to suggestions that the soft excess is directly produced by thermal disc emission or via an additional spectral component. We present XMM–Newton Optical Monitor (OM) data, which we combine with the X-ray spectra so as to produce broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs), free from uncertainties due to long-term variability in non-simultaneous data. Fitting these optical–UV spectra with a Comptonized disc model indicates that the soft X-ray excess is independent of the accretion disc, confirming our interpretation of the tight correlation between the hard and soft X-ray spectra.     

The anticorrelation between the hard X-ray photon index and the Eddington ratio in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei

We find a significant anticorrelation between the hard X-ray photon index Γ and the Eddington ratio   L _bol/ L _Edd  for a sample of low-ionization nuclear emission-line regions and local Seyfert galaxies, compiled from literature with Chandra or XMM–Newton observations. This result is in contrast with the positive correlation found in luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN), while it is similar to that of X-ray binaries (XRBs) in the low/hard state. Our result is qualitatively consistent with the spectra produced from advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs). It implies that the X-ray emission of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN) may originate from the Comptonization process in ADAF, and the accretion process in LLAGN may be similar to that of XRBs in the low/hard state, which is different from that in luminous AGN.     

RE J2248−511: not all variable, ultrasoft, X-ray AGN have narrow Balmer lines

We present ASCA data on RE J2248−511, extending existing optical and soft X-ray coverage to 10 keV, and monitoring the soft component. These data show that, despite a very strong ultrasoft X-ray excess below 0.3 keV and a soft 0.3–2 keV spectral index in earlier ROSAT data, the hard X-ray spectrum ( α ∼−0.8; 0.6–10 keV) is typical of type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN), and the soft component has since disappeared. Optical data taken at two different epochs show that the big blue bump is also highly variable. The strength of the ultrasoft X-ray component and the extreme variability in RE J2248−511 are reminiscent of the behaviour observed in many narrow line Seyfert 1s (NLS1s). However, the high-energy end of the ROSAT spectrum, the ASCA spectrum and the Balmer line full widths at half maximum of ∼3000 km s⁻¹ in RE J2248−511 are typical of normal Seyfert 1 AGN.
The change in the soft X-ray spectrum as observed in the ROSAT and ASCA data is consistent with the behaviour of Galactic Black Hole Candidates (GBHCs) as they move from a high to a low state, i.e. a fall in the ultrasoft component and a hardening of the X-ray continuum. This GBHC analogy has also been proposed for NLS1s. Alternatively, the variability may be caused by opacity changes in a hot, optically thin corona which surrounds a cold, dense accretion disc; this was first suggested by Guainazzi et al. for 1H 0419−577, an object which shows remarkably similar properties to RE J2248−511.     

Inflow and outflow from the accretion disc of the microquasar SS 433: UKIRT spectroscopy

A succession of near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopic observations, taken nightly throughout an entire cycle of SS 433's orbit, reveal (i) the persistent signature of SS 433's accretion disc, having a rotation speed of  ∼500 km s⁻¹  , (ii) the presence of circumbinary disc recently discovered at optical wavelengths by Blundell, Bowler & Schmidtobreick (2008) and (iii) a much faster outflow than has previously been measured for the disc wind, with a terminal velocity of  ∼1500 km s⁻¹  . The increased wind terminal velocity results in a mass-loss rate of  ∼10⁻⁴ M_⊙ yr⁻¹  . These, together with the newly (upwardly) determined masses for the components of the SS 433 system, result in an accurate diagnosis of the extent to which SS 433 has super-Eddington flows. Our observations imply that the size of the companion star is comparable with the semiminor axis of the orbit which is given by     , where e is the eccentricity. Our relatively spectral resolution at these near-IR wavelengths has enabled us to deconstruct the different components that comprise the Brackett-γ (Brγ) line in this binary system, and their physical origins. With this line being dominated throughout our series of observations by the disc wind, and the accretion disc itself being only a minority (∼15 per cent) contribution, we caution against use of the unresolved Brγ line intensity as an 'accretion signature' in X-ray binaries or microquasars in any quantitative way.     

On the hard X-ray spectra of radio-loud active galaxies

Over the last few years X-ray observations of broad-line radio galaxies (BLRGs) by ASCA , RXTE and BeppoSAX have shown that these objects seem to exhibit weaker X-ray reflection features (such as the iron K α line) than radio-quiet Seyferts. This has lead to speculation that the optically thick accretion disc in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) may be truncated to an optically thin flow in the inner regions of the source. Here, we propose that the weak reflection features are a result of reprocessing in an ionized accretion disc. This would alleviate the need for a change in accretion geometry in these sources. Calculations of reflection spectra from an ionized disc for situations expected in radio-loud AGN (high accretion rate, moderate-to-high black hole mass) predict weak reprocessing features. This idea was tested by fitting the ASCA spectrum of the bright BLRG 3C 120 with the constant density ionized disc models of Ross & Fabian. A good fit was found with an ionization parameter of   ξ ∼4000 erg cm s^-1  and the reflection fraction fixed at unity. If observations of BLRGs by XMM-Newton show evidence for ionized reflection then this would support the idea that a high accretion rate is likely required to launch powerful radio jets.