Extreme relativistic reflection in the active galaxy ESO 033-G002

Walton DJ, Balokovic M, Fabian AC, Gallo LC, Koss M, Nardini E, Reynolds CS, Ricci C, Stern D, Alston WN, Dauser T, Garcia J, Kosec P, Reynolds MT, Harrison FA, Miller JM (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press

Book Volume: 506

Pages Range: 1557-1572

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stab1290

Abstract

We present the first high signal-to-noise broad-band X-ray spectrum of the radio-quiet type-2 Seyfert ESO 033-G002, combining data from XMM-Newton and NuSTAR. The nuclear X-ray spectrum is complex, showing evidence for both neutral and ionized absorption, as well as reflection from both the accretion disc and more distant material, but our broad-band coverage allows us to disentangle all of these different components. The total neutral column during this epoch is NH ∼(5-6) × 1022 cm-2, consistent with the optical classification of ESO 033-G002 as a type-2 Seyfert but not so large as to prevent us from robustly determining the properties of the innermost accretion flow. The ionized absorption - dominated by lines from Fe xxv and Fe xxvi - reveals a moderately rapid outflow (vout ∼5400 km s-1) which has a column comparable to the neutral absorption. We find the disc reflection from the innermost regions to be extreme, with a reflection fraction of Rfrac ∼5. This requires strong gravitational lightbending and, in turn, both an extremely compact corona (within ∼2 RG of the black hole) and a rapidly rotating black hole (a∗ > 0.96). Despite this tight size constraint, with a temperature of kTe = 40-70 keV the X-ray corona in ESO 033-G002 appears similar to other active galactic nucle in terms of its placement in the compactness-temperature plane, consistent with sitting close to the limit determined by runaway pair production. Finally, combining X-ray spectroscopy, timing, and updated optical spectroscopy, we also estimate the mass of the black hole to be log[MBH/M⊙] ∼7.0-7.5.

Authors with CRIS profile

Thomas Dauser Dr.Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut Javier Garcia Dr.Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut

Involved external institutions

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) US United States (USA) (US) University of Cambridge GB United Kingdom (GB) European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) ES Spain (ES) Eureka Scientific US United States (USA) (US) University of Michigan US United States (USA) (US) Yale University US United States (USA) (US) Diego Portales University / Universidad Diego Portales CL Chile (CL) Università degli Studi di Firenze / University of Florence IT Italy (IT) Saint Mary’s University Halifax CA Canada (CA)

How to cite

APA:

Walton, D.J., Balokovic, M., Fabian, A.C., Gallo, L.C., Koss, M., Nardini, E.,... Miller, J.M. (2021). Extreme relativistic reflection in the active galaxy ESO 033-G002. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 506(2), 1557-1572. https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab1290

MLA:

Walton, D. J., et al. "Extreme relativistic reflection in the active galaxy ESO 033-G002." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 506.2 (2021): 1557-1572.

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