Ionization physics evidence for magnetic flare origin of X-rays in AGN

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dc.creatorNayakshin, Sergei
dc.date2000-05-31
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T01:53:49Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T01:53:49Z
dc.descriptionWe present full disk X-ray reflection spectra for two currently popular accretion flow geometries for AGN -- the lamppost model frequently used to discuss the iron line reverberation in AGN, and the model where the X-rays are produced in magnetic flares above a cold accretion disk (AD). The lamppost spectra contain several spectroscopic features characteristic of highly ionized material that are not seen in the X-ray spectra of most AGN. The magnetic flare model, on the other hand, produces reflected spectra that are roughly a super-position of a power-law and a {\em neutral-like} reflection and iron K$α$ line, and are thus more in line with typical AGN X-ray spectra. Furthermore, because of the difference in the ionization structure of the illuminated material in the two models, the line equivalent width increases with the X-ray luminosity, $L_x$, for the lamppost, and decreases with $L_x$ for the flare model. In light of these theoretical insights, recent iron line reverberation studies of AGN, the X-ray Baldwin effect, and the general lack of X-ray reflection features in distant quasars all suggest that, for high accretion rates, the cold accretion disk is covered by a Thomson thick, completely ionized skin. Because the latter is only possible when the X-rays are concentrated to small emitting regions, we believe that this presents a strong evidence for the magnetic flare origin of X-rays in AGN.
dc.descriptionsubmitted to ApJL on May 31 2000; 4 pages, 2 figures
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0005603
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0005603
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/1107
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleIonization physics evidence for magnetic flare origin of X-rays in AGN
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