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Iron Lines from Ionized Discs

from IV - X-rays and Accretion Disks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2010

By
G. Matt ,
A.C. Fabian  and
R.R. Ross
Edited by
Andrew Robinson  and
Roberto Juan Terlevich
G. Matt
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England
A.C. Fabian
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England
R.R. Ross
Affiliation:
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, Physics Department, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
Andrew Robinson
Affiliation:
University of Cambridge
Roberto Juan Terlevich
Affiliation:
Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge
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Summary

Abstract

The properties of the iron Kα line emitted by a photoionized accretion disc have been calculated for different source geometries.

The properties of the iron Kα fluorescence line emitted by an α-viscosity accretion disc illuminated by an external X-ray source have been calculated for different values of the disc accretion rate ṁ. The vertical ionization structure of the matter has been computed by using the numerical code described in. Two different source geometries have been studied: a point source located at 20 rg (=GM/c2) above the disc on its symmetry axis, and an extended source above the innermost part (r = 6 – 50rg) of the disc. Assuming α=0.1, a Schwarzschild black hole and a hard luminosity equal to the disc luminosity, we find that for large values of ṁ (≲ 0.2, in units of the critical value) the matter can be significantly ionized, and the iron line equivalent width can reach values as high as 250 eV for the point source, and up to about 400 eV for the extended source (while for neutral matter it is ∼150eV for a face-on disc). The line centroid energy, in the emitting rest frame, is significantly higher than 6.4 keV, the value for neutral iron. A further increase of ṁ (≲ 0.5) leads to a strong decrease of the line intensity, because the iron becomes fully stripped in the inner region of the disc.

Type
Chapter
Information
The Nature of Compact Objects in Active Galactic Nuclei
Proceedings of the 33rd Herstmonceux Conference, held in Cambridge, July 6-22, 1992
 , pp. 304 - 305
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1994

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  • Iron Lines from Ionized Discs
    • By G. Matt, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, A.C. Fabian, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, R.R. Ross, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, Physics Department, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
  • Edited by Andrew Robinson, University of Cambridge, Roberto Juan Terlevich, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge
  • Book: The Nature of Compact Objects in Active Galactic Nuclei
  • Online publication: 04 August 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564765.070
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  • Iron Lines from Ionized Discs
    • By G. Matt, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, A.C. Fabian, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, R.R. Ross, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, Physics Department, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
  • Edited by Andrew Robinson, University of Cambridge, Roberto Juan Terlevich, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge
  • Book: The Nature of Compact Objects in Active Galactic Nuclei
  • Online publication: 04 August 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564765.070
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Iron Lines from Ionized Discs
    • By G. Matt, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, A.C. Fabian, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, R.R. Ross, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, England, Physics Department, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
  • Edited by Andrew Robinson, University of Cambridge, Roberto Juan Terlevich, Royal Greenwich Observatory, Cambridge
  • Book: The Nature of Compact Objects in Active Galactic Nuclei
  • Online publication: 04 August 2010
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511564765.070
Available formats
×