XMM-Newton unveils the complex iron K alpha region of Mrk 279

Abstract

We present the results of a ~160 ks-long XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 279. The spectrum shows evidence of both broad and narrow emission features. The Fe K alpha line may be equally well explained by a single broad Gaussian (FWHM~10,000 km/s) or by two components: an unresolved core plus a very broad profile (FWHM~14,000 km/s). For the first time we quantified, via the "locally optimally emitting cloud" model, the contribution of the broad line region (BLR) to the absolute luminosity of the broad component of the Fe K alpha at 6.4 keV. We find that the contribution of the BLR is only ~3%. In the two-line component scenario, we also evaluated the contribution of the highly ionized gas component, which produces the FeXXVI line in the iron K region. This contribution to the narrow core of the Fe K alpha line is marginal <0.1%. Most of the luminosity of the unresolved, component of Fe K alpha may come from the obscuring torus, while the very-broad associated component may come from the accretion disk. However, models of reflection by cold gas are difficult to test because of the limited energy band. The FeXXVI line at 6.9 keV is consistent to be produced in a high column density (N_H~10^23 cm^{-2}), extremely ionized (logξ~5.5-7) gas. This gas may be a highly ionized outer layer of the torus.

10 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

References in corpus (9)

• An XMM-Newton survey of broad iron lines in Seyfert galaxies
• On the origin of the Fe K-alpha line cores in Active Galactic Nuclei
• X-Ray/Ultraviolet Observing Campaign of the Markarian 279 Active Galactic Nucleus Outflow: a close look at the absorbing/emitting gas with Chandra-LETGS
• A BLR origin for the iron K$\alpha$ line in NGC7213
• High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy of the low and high states of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4051 with Chandra LETGS
• An X-ray look at the Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 590: XMM-Newton and Chandra reveal complexity in circumnuclear gas
• Chandra Detection of Local Warm-Hot Gas Toward Markarian 279
• A longer XMM-Newton look at I Zwicky 1: Variability of the X-ray continuum, absorption, and iron Kalpha line
• XMM-Newton observation of Mrk 110

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