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Broad line emission from iron K- and L-shell transitions in the active galaxy 1H 0707-495

Author

Listed:
  • A. C. Fabian

    (Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)

  • A. Zoghbi

    (Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)

  • R. R. Ross

    (College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA)

  • P. Uttley

    (School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK)

  • L. C. Gallo

    (Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3C3, Canada)

  • W. N. Brandt

    (The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA)

  • A. J. Blustin

    (Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)

  • T. Boller

    (Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany)

  • M. D. Caballero-Garcia

    (Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)

  • J. Larsson

    (Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)

  • J. M. Miller

    (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA)

  • G. Miniutti

    (LAEX, Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC–INTA), LAEFF, PO Box 78, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid E-28691, Spain)

  • G. Ponti

    (Laboratoire APC, UMR 7164, 10 rue A. Domon et L. Duquet, 75205 Paris, France)

  • R. C. Reis

    (Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK)

  • C. S. Reynolds

    (University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA)

  • Y. Tanaka

    (Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany)

  • A. J. Young

    (H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK)

Abstract

L-line route to black holes The emission line arising from a transition of an electron from the iron K shell to the ground state (the K line) is prominent in the reflection spectrum of the hard X-ray continuum irradiating dense accreting matter around a black hole. The corresponding iron L-line emission should be detectable when iron abundance is high. That's the theory, and now broad iron L-line emission has been observed, together with the broad K line in the narrow-line Seyfert galaxy 1H0707. There is a reverberation lag of about 30 s between the direct X-ray continuum and its reflection from matter falling into the hole, a timescale comparable to the light-crossing time of the innermost radii around a supermassive black hole. This discovery opens a window on events close to the black hole event horizon in these objects.

Suggested Citation

  • A. C. Fabian & A. Zoghbi & R. R. Ross & P. Uttley & L. C. Gallo & W. N. Brandt & A. J. Blustin & T. Boller & M. D. Caballero-Garcia & J. Larsson & J. M. Miller & G. Miniutti & G. Ponti & R. C. Reis & , 2009. "Broad line emission from iron K- and L-shell transitions in the active galaxy 1H 0707-495," Nature, Nature, vol. 459(7246), pages 540-542, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:459:y:2009:i:7246:d:10.1038_nature08007
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08007
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