Recent observations of nearby Compton thick (CT) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with Chandra have resolved hard (>3 keV) X-ray emission extending out from the central supermassive black hole to kiloparsec scales, challenging the long-held belief that the characteristic hard X-ray continuum and fluorescent Fe K lines originate in the inner similar to parsec due to the excitation of obscuring material. In this paper we present the results of the most recent Chandra ACIS-S observations of NGC 7212, a CT AGN in a compact group of interacting galaxies, with a total effective exposure of similar to 150 ks. We find similar to 20% of the observed emission is found outside of the central kiloparsec, with similar to 17% associated with the soft X-rays, and similar to 3% with hard X-ray continuum and Fe K line. This emission is extended both along the ionization cone and in the cross-cone direction up to similar to 3.8 kpc scales. The spectrum of NGC 7212 is best represented by a mixture of thermal and photoionization models that indicate the presence of complex gas interactions. These observations are consistent with what is observed in other CT AGN (e.g., ESO 428-G014, NGC 1068), providing further evidence that this may be a common phenomenon. High-resolution observations of extended CT AGN provide an especially valuable environment for understanding how AGN feedback impacts host galaxies on galactic scales.

Chandra Observations of NGC 7212: Large-scale Extended Hard X-Ray Emission

Paggi, A.;
2020-01-01

Abstract

Recent observations of nearby Compton thick (CT) active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with Chandra have resolved hard (>3 keV) X-ray emission extending out from the central supermassive black hole to kiloparsec scales, challenging the long-held belief that the characteristic hard X-ray continuum and fluorescent Fe K lines originate in the inner similar to parsec due to the excitation of obscuring material. In this paper we present the results of the most recent Chandra ACIS-S observations of NGC 7212, a CT AGN in a compact group of interacting galaxies, with a total effective exposure of similar to 150 ks. We find similar to 20% of the observed emission is found outside of the central kiloparsec, with similar to 17% associated with the soft X-rays, and similar to 3% with hard X-ray continuum and Fe K line. This emission is extended both along the ionization cone and in the cross-cone direction up to similar to 3.8 kpc scales. The spectrum of NGC 7212 is best represented by a mixture of thermal and photoionization models that indicate the presence of complex gas interactions. These observations are consistent with what is observed in other CT AGN (e.g., ESO 428-G014, NGC 1068), providing further evidence that this may be a common phenomenon. High-resolution observations of extended CT AGN provide an especially valuable environment for understanding how AGN feedback impacts host galaxies on galactic scales.
2020
891
2 - 133
1
17
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/link_gateway/2020ApJ...891..133J/PUB_HTML
Active galaxies; X-ray active galactic nuclei; AGN host galaxies
Jones, Mackenzie L.; Fabbiano, G.; Elvis, Martin; Paggi, A.; Karovska, M.; Maksym, W. P.; Siemiginowska, A.; Raymond, J.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/1736934
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