High-Density Effects in X-ray Reflection Models from Accretion Disks

Abstract

Current models of the spectrum of X-rays reflected from accretion disks around black holes and other compact objects are commonly calculated assuming that the density of the disk atmosphere is constant within several Thomson depths from the irradiated surface. An important simplifying assumption of these models is that the ionization structure of the gas is completely specified by a single, fixed value of the ionization parameter $\xi$, which is the ratio of the incident flux to the gas density. The density is typically fixed at $n_e=10^{15}$ cm${}^{-3}$. Motivated by observations, we consider higher densities in the calculation of the reflected spectrum. We show by computing model spectra for $n_e\gtrsim 10^{17}$ cm${}^{-3}$ that high-density effects significantly modify reflection spectra. The main effect is to boost the thermal continuum at energies $\lesssim 2$ keV. We discuss the implications of these results for interpreting observations of both AGN and black hole binaries. We also discuss the limitations of our models imposed by the quality of the atomic data currently available.

10 pages, 7 figures, Submitted to MNRAS

References in corpus (9)

• Simultaneous X-ray/optical/UV snapshots of active galactic nuclei from XMM-Newton: spectral energy distributions for the reverberation mapped sample
• The role of the reflection fraction in constraining black hole spin
• The Masses and Spins of Neutron Stars and Stellar-Mass Black Holes
• A systematic look at the Very High and Low/Hard state of GX 339-4: Constraining the black hole spin with a new reflection model
• The NuSTAR spectrum of Mrk 335: Extreme relativistic effects within 2 gravitational radii of the event horizon?
• X-ray reflection in accreting stellar-mass black hole systems
• Iron K and Compton hump reverberation in SWIFT J2127.4+5654 and NGC 1365 revealed by NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
• What is the origin of the soft excess in AGN?
• X-ray reflection in oxygen-rich accretion discs of ultra-compact X-ray binaries

Cited by in corpus (130)

• Global Radiation Magneto-hydrodynamic Simulations of Sub-Eddington Accretion Disks around Supermassive Black Holes
• Towards precision measurements of accreting black holes using X-ray reflection spectroscopy
• The response of relativistic outflowing gas to the inner accretion disk of a black hole
• Alternative explanations for extreme supersolar iron abundances inferred from the energy spectrum of Cygnus X-1
• High Density Reflection Spectroscopy: II. the Density of the Inner Black Hole Accretion Disc in AGN
• A public relativistic transfer function model for X-ray reverberation mapping of accreting black holes
• MAXI J1820+070 with NuSTAR I. An increase in variability frequency but a stable reflection spectrum: coronal properties and implications for the inner disc in black hole binaries
• The 1.5 Ms Observing Campaign on IRAS 13224-3809: X-ray Spectral Analysis I
• A deep X-ray view of the bare AGN Ark120. IV. XMM-Newton and NuSTAR spectra dominated by two temperature (warm, hot) Comptonization processes
• The Soft-Excess in Mrk 509: Warm Corona or Relativistic Reflection?
• Disk, Corona, Jet Connection in the Intermediate State of MAXI J1820+070 Revealed by NICER Spectral-Timing Analysis
• The high-Eddington NLS1 Ark 564 has the coolest corona
• Modeling the UV/optical continuum time-lags in AGN
• Insight-HXMT observations of jet-like corona in a black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070
• High Density Reflection Spectroscopy I. A case study of GX~339-4
• UV/optical disk thermal reverberation in AGN: an in-depth study with an analytic prescription for the time-lag spectra
• Ultrafast outflows disappear in high radiation fields
• A Hard Look at the Neutron Stars and Accretion Disks in 4U 1636-53, GX 17+2, and 4U 1705-44 with $\text{NuSTAR}$
• Detection of Reflection Features in the Neutron Star Low-Mass X-ray Binary Serpens X-1 with NICER
• Relativistic X-ray Reflection Models for Accreting Neutron Stars
• Light bending and X-ray echoes from behind a supermassive black hole
• The nuclear environment of the NLS1 Mrk 335: obscuration of the X-ray line emission by a variable outflow
• NuSTAR/XMM-Newton monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy HE 1143-1810. Testing the two-corona scenario
• Improved spectral models for relativistic reflection
• Phase-resolved spectroscopy of a quasi-periodic oscillation in the black hole X-ray binary GRS 1915+105 with NICER and NuSTAR
• A full spectral-timing model to map the accretion flow in black hole binaries: the low/hard state of MAXI J1820+070
• A New Spin on an Old Black Hole: NuSTAR Spectroscopy of EXO 1846-031
• The 2017 Failed Outburst of GX 339-4: Relativistic X-ray Reflection near the Black Hole Revealed by NuSTAR and Swift Spectroscopy
• Accretion in Strong Field Gravity with eXTP
• X-ray Reflection and An Exceptionally Long Thermonuclear Helium Burst from IGR J17062-6143
• NuSTAR and XMM-Newton broad-band spectrum of SAX J1808.4-3658 during its latest outburst in 2015
• X-ray polarimetry and spectroscopy of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary GX 9+9: an in-depth study with IXPE and NuSTAR
• Evolution of a Relativistic Outflow and X-ray Corona in the Extreme Changing-Look AGN 1ES 1927+654
• Evidence for Returning Disk Radiation in the Black Hole X-ray Binary XTE J1550-564
• A hard look at thermal reverberation and optical/UV lags in NGC 5548
• Tests of the Kerr hypothesis with GRS 1915+105 using different RELXILL flavors
• An X-ray reverberation mass measurement of Cygnus X-1
• A physical model for the broadband energy spectrum of X-ray illuminated accretion discs: fitting the spectral energy distribution of NGC 5548
• The Nature of Soft Excess in ESO 362-G18 Revealed by XMM-Newton and NuSTAR Spectroscopy
• Examining the Physical Conditions of a Warm Corona in Active Galactic Nuclei Accretion Discs
• Modelling correlated variability in accreting black holes: the effect of high density and variable ionisation on reverberation lags
• A combined timing/spectral study of IRAS 13224-3809 using XMM-Newton data
• A high-density relativistic reflection origin for the soft and hard X-ray excess emission from Mrk 1044
• Multi-timescale reverberation mapping of Mrk 335
• Difficulties of Quantitative Tests of the Kerr-Hypothesis with X-Ray Observations of Mass Accreting Black Holes
• Venturing beyond the ISCO: Detecting X-ray emission from the plunging regions around black holes
• A Relativistic Disc Reflection Model for 1H0419-577: Multi-Epoch Spectral Analysis with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR
• Revisiting UV/optical continuum time lags in AGN
• Two major constraints on the inner radii of accretion disks
• Comparison of spectral models for disc truncation in the hard state of GX 339-4
• Detailed analysis on the reflection component for the black hole candidate MAXI J1348-630
• NuSTAR monitoring of MAXI J1348-630: evidence of high density disc reflection
• X-ray reflection from the inner disk of the AGN Ton S180
• MAXI J1820+070 X-ray spectral-timing reveals the nature of the accretion flow in black hole binaries
• The first broadband X-ray view of the narrow line Seyfert 1 Ton S180
• Eclipsing the X-ray emitting region in the active galaxy NGC 6814
• Acceleration and cooling of the corona during X-ray flares from the Seyfert galaxy I Zw 1
• The first simultaneous X-ray broad-band view of Mrk 110 with XMM-Newton and NuSTAR
• Steep X-ray reflection emissivity profiles in AGN as the result of radially-structured disc ionisation
• Inferring black hole spins and probing accretion/ejection flows in AGNs with the Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit
• Modelling X-ray RMS spectra I: intrinsically variable AGN
• Does the disk in the hard state of XTE J1752-223 extend to the innermost stable circular orbit?
• The X-ray Disk/Wind Degeneracy in AGN
• The hard to soft transition of GX 339-4 as seen by Insight-HXMT
• A Full Characterisation of the Supermassive Black Hole in IRAS 09149-6206
• Modeling Magnetic Disk-Wind State Transitions in Black Hole X-ray Binaries
• Detection of a Multi-Phase Ultra-Fast Wind in the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy Mrk 1044
• High-density disc reflection spectroscopy of low-mass active galactic nuclei
• Investigating the impact of vertically extended coronae on X-ray reverberation mapping
• Conflicting disk inclination estimates for the black hole X-ray binary XTE J1550-564
• A NuSTAR View of GRS 1716$-$249 in the Hard and Intermediate States
• AGN STORM 2. III. A NICER view of the variable X-ray obscurer in Mrk 817
• XMM-Newton Observations of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy IRAS 13224$-$3809 : X-ray Spectral Analysis II
• Study of the X-ray properties of the neutron-star binary 4U 1728$-$34 from the soft to hard state
• Relativistic Disk Reflection in the Neutron Star X-ray Binary XTE J1709-267 with NuSTAR
• High-density reflection spectroscopy of black hole X-ray binaries in the hard state
• Photoionization Models for High Density Gas
• A Phase-resolved View of the Low-frequency Quasiperiodic Oscillations from the Black Hole Binary MAXI J1820+070
• Impact of the reflection model on the estimate of the properties of accreting black holes
• NuSTAR and Chandra observations of new X-ray transients in the central parsec of the Galaxy
• Accretion Scenario of MAXI J1820+070 during 2018 Outbursts with Multi-mission Observations
• A Redshifted Inner Disk Atmosphere and Transient Absorbers in the Ultra-Compact Neutron Star X-ray Binary 4U 1916-053
• Rapidly alternating flux states of GX 339-4 during its 2021 outburst captured by Insight-HXMT
• A detailed study on the reflection component for the Black Hole Candidate MAXI J1836-194
• Black Hole Spin Measurements Based on a Thin Disc Model with Finite Thickness I. An example study of MCG-06-30-15
• Blueshifted absorption lines from X-ray reflection in IRAS 13224-3809
• Observations of the Ultra-compact X-ray Binary 4U 1543-624 in Outburst with NICER, INTEGRAL, Swift, and ATCA
• A multi-wavelength study of the hard and soft states of MAXI J1820+070 during its 2018 outburst
• A deep, multi-epoch Chandra HETG study of the ionized outflow from NGC 4051
• Reflection and timing study of the transient black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1803-298 with NuSTAR
• Accurate Treatment of Comptonization in X-ray Illuminated Accretion Disks
• Constraining the geometry of the dipping atoll 4U 1624-49 with X-ray spectroscopy and polarimetry
• An XMM-Newton Study of Six Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies at z = 0.35--0.92
• Joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations of the reflection spectrum of III Zw 2
• A systematic study of photoionized emission and warm absorption signatures of the NLS1 Mrk 335
• A NuSTAR and Swift View of the Hard State of MAXI J1813-095
• Reflection features in the X-ray spectrum of Fairall 9 and implications for tests of general relativity
• On measuring the Hubble constant with X-ray reverberation mapping of active galactic nuclei
• The Effect of Microlensing On the Observed X-ray Energy Spectra of Gravitationally Lensed Quasars
• Proof of principle X-ray reflection mass measurement of the black hole in H1743-322
• Variable oxygen emission from the accretion disk of Mrk 110
• The broad-band spectrum of the Narrow-line Seyfert 1 NGC 4748: from UV to hard X-ray
• Revisiting the galactic X-ray binary MAXI J1631-479: Implications for high inclination and a massive black hole
• Broadband spectral analysis of Mrk 926 using multi-epoch X-ray observations
• Astrophysics with the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
• Are Compton-thin AGNs Globally Compton Thin?
• AGN STORM 2: I. First results: A Change in the Weather of Mrk 817
• AstroSat view of spectral transition in the changing-look active galaxy NGC1566 during the declining phase of the 2018 outburst
• Spectral and polarimetric signatures of X-ray eclipses in AGN
• Probing the accretion geometry of the atoll source 4U 1702-429 in different spectral states with NICER, NuSTAR, and AstroSat
• Relativistic reflection within an extended hot plasma geometry
• The origin of the soft excess in the luminous quasar HE 1029-1401
• The Low Temperature Corona in ESO 511$-$G030 Revealed by NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
• Testing X-ray Reprocessing and Mapping the Soft Excess of NGC 7469 with NICER
• Comparing Reflection and Absorption Models for the Soft X-ray Variability in the NLS1 AGN UGC 11763
• On the impact of an intermediate duration X-ray burst on the accretion environment in IGR J17062-6143
• Investigating the consistency of the shape and flux of X-ray reflection spectra in the hard state with an accretion disk reaching close to the black hole
• The Origin of The Soft X-Ray Excess in the Seyfert 1.5 Galaxy ESO 362-G18
• The X-ray/UV Connection in NGC 5548: A Rapidly Varying Corona
• Interaction between disk and extended corona in a general relativistic framework
• A possible two-fold scenario for the disc-corona of the luminous AGN 1H 0419--577: a high-density disc or a warm corona
• Boson Cloud Atlas: Direct mass measurements of superradiance clouds near black holes
• Plasma environment effects on K lines of astrophysical interest I. Atomic structure, radiative rates and Auger widths of oxygen ions
• Spectral Analysis of New Black Hole Candidate AT2019wey Observed by NuSTAR
• The XSTAR Atomic Database
• The Origin of X-ray Emission in the Gamma-ray emitting Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 1H 0323+342
• The extreme properties of the nearby hyper-Eddington accreting Active Galactic Nucleus in IRAS 04416+1215
• Neutrino-Induced Polarization Rotation in Active Galactic Nuclei Plasmas
• Shape and ionization of equatorial matter near compact objects from X-ray polarization reflection signatures
• Probing the Black Hole Engine with Measurements of the Relativistic X-ray Reflection Component