English

3C 273 with NuSTAR: Unveiling the AGN

Astrophysics of Galaxies 2017-02-22 v2 High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Abstract

We present results from a 244\,ks \textit{NuSTAR} observation of 3C\,273 obtained during a cross-calibration campaign with the \textit{Chandra}, \textit{INTEGRAL}, \textit{Suzaku}, \textit{Swift}, and \textit{XMM-Newton} observatories. We show that the spectrum, when fit with a power-law model using data from all observatories except \textit{INTEGRAL} over the 1--78\,keV band, leaves significant residuals in the \textit{NuSTAR} data between 30--78\,keV. The \nustar\ 3--78\,keV spectrum is well-described by an exponentially cutoff power-law (Γ=1.646±0.006\Gamma = 1.646 \pm 0.006, Ecutoff=20234+51_\mathrm{cutoff} = 202_{-34}^{+51}\,keV) with a weak reflection component from cold, dense material. There is also evidence for a weak (EW=23±11EW = 23 \pm 11 eV) neutral iron line. We interpret these features as arising from coronal emission plus reflection off an accretion disk or distant material. Beyond 80\,keV \textit{INTEGRAL} data show clear excess flux relative to an extrapolation of the AGN model fit to \nustar. This high-energy power-law is consistent with the presence of a beamed jet, which begins to dominate over emission from the inner accretion flow at 30-40 keV. Modeling the jet locally (in the \textit{NuSTAR} + \textit{INTEGRAL} band) as a power-law, we find the coronal component is fit by ΓAGN=1.638±0.045\Gamma_\mathrm{AGN} = 1.638 \pm 0.045, Ecutoff=47±15E_\mathrm{cutoff} = 47 \pm 15\,keV, and jet photon index by Γjet=1.05±0.4\Gamma_\mathrm{jet} = 1.05 \pm 0.4. We also consider \textit{Fermi}/LAT observations of 3C\,273 and here the broad-band spectrum of the jet can be described by a log-parabolic model, peaking at 2\sim 2\,MeV. Finally, we investigate the spectral variability in the \textit{NuSTAR} band and find an inverse correlation between flux and Γ\Gamma.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1506.06182,
  title  = {3C 273 with NuSTAR: Unveiling the AGN},
  author = {Kristin K. Madsen and Felix Fürst and Dominic J. Walton and Fiona A. Harrison and Krzysztof Nalewajko and Greg M. Madejski and David R. Ballantyne and Steve E. Boggs and Laura W. Brenneman and Finn E. Christensen and William W. Craig and Andrew C. Fabian and Karl Forster and Brian W. Grefenstette and Matteo Guainazzi and Charles J. Hailey and Giorgio Matt and Daniel Stern and Roland Walter and William W. Zhang},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1506.06182},
  year   = {2017}
}

Comments

Accepted in ApJ

R2 v1 2026-06-22T09:57:05.623Z