Predicting the X-ray polarization of type-2 Seyfert galaxies

Abstract

Infrared, optical and ultraviolet spectropolarimetric observations have proven to be ideal tools for the study of the hidden nuclei of type-2 active galactic nuclei (AGN) and for constraining the composition and morphology of the sub-parsec scale emission components. In this paper, we extend the analysis to the polarization of the X-rays from type-2 AGN. Combining two radiative transfer codes, we performed the first simulations of photons originating in the gravity dominated vicinity of the black hole and scattering in structures all the way out to the parsec-scale torus and polar winds. We demonstrate that, when strong gravity effects are accounted for, the X-ray polarimetric signal of Seyfert-2s carries as much information about the central AGN components as spectropolarimetric observations of Seyfert-1s. The spectropolarimetric measurements can constrain the spin of the central supermassive black hole even in edge-on AGN, the hydrogen column density along the observer's line-of-sight, and the composition of the polar outflows. However, the polarization state of the continuum source is washed out by multiple scattering, and should not be measurable unless the initial polarization is exceptionally strong. Finally, we estimate that modern X-ray polarimeters, either based on the photo-electric effect or on Compton scattering, will require long observational times on the order of a couple of mega-seconds to be able to properly measure the polarization of type-2 AGN.

32 pages, 24 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

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• Polarized Images of Synchrotron Radiations in Curved Spacetime
• X-ray polarization measurement of the gold standard of radio-quiet active galactic nuclei : NGC 1068
• Spectral and polarization properties of reflected X-ray emission from black-hole accretion discs for a distant observer: the lamp-post model
• X-ray signatures of the polar dusty gas in AGN
• Shape and ionization of equatorial matter near compact objects from X-ray polarization reflection signatures