Time-dependent photoionization spectroscopy of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783

Abstract

We present an investigation into the spectroscopic properties of non-equilibrium photoionization processes operating in a time-evolving mode. Through a quantitative comparison between equilibrium and time-evolving models, we find that the time-evolving model exhibits a broader distribution of charge states compared to the equilibrium model, accompanied by a slight shift in the peak ionization state depending on the source variability and gas density. The time-evolving code, tpho in SPEX, has been successfully employed to analyze the spectral properties of warm absorbers in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 3783. The incorporation of variability in the tpho model improves the fits of the time-integrated spectra, providing more accurate descriptions to the average charge states of several elements, in particular for Fe which is peaked around Fe XIX. The inferred densities and distances of the relevant X-ray absorber components are estimated to be approximately a few 1E11 per cubic meter and less than 1 pc, respectively. Furthermore, the updated fit suggests a potential scenario in which the observed absorbers are being expelled from the central AGN at the escape velocities. This implies that these absorbers might not play a significant role in the AGN feedback mechanism.

accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

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Cited by in corpus (4)

• Delving into the depths of NGC 3783 with XRISM. I. Kinematic and ionization structure of the highly ionized outflows
• Delving into the depths of NGC 3783 with XRISM III. Birth of an ultrafast outflow during a soft flare
• A failed wind candidate in NGC 3783 from the 2001 year campaign with Chandra/HETGS
• Delving into the depths of NGC 3783 with XRISM: V. Broad-band modeling of ionized outflows