Exploring the X-ray spectral variability of MCG-6-30-15 with XMM-Newton

Abstract

We present a study of the spectral variability of the Seyfert I galaxy MCG-6-30-15 based on the two long XMM-Newton observations from 2000 and 2001. The X-ray spectrum and variability properties of the 2001 data have previously been well described with a two-component model consisting of a variable power law and a much less variable reflection component, containing a broad relativistic iron line from the accretion disc around a rapidly rotating Kerr black hole. The lack of variability of the reflection component has been interpreted as an effect of strong gravitational light bending very close to the central black hole. Using an improved reflection model, we fit the two-component model to time-resolved spectra of both observations. Assuming that the photon index of the power law is constant we reconfirm the old result and show that this does not depend on the time-scale of the analysis.

arXiv comment6 pages, 7 figures, accepted by MNRAS

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• The broad band spectral variability of MCG-6-30-15 observed by NuSTAR and XMM-Newton
• Relativistic disc reflection in the extreme NLS1 IRAS13224-3809
• A Suzaku, NuSTAR, and XMM-Newton view on variable absorption and relativistic reflection in NGC 4151
• Constraints on the absorption-dominated model for the X-ray spectrum of MCG-6-30-15
• Unveiling the broad band X-ray continuum and iron line complex in Mkr 841
• Evidence of Light-Bending Effects and its implication for spectral state transitions
• Iron lines from transient and persisting hot spots on AGN accretion disks
• GR models of the X-ray spectral variability of MCG--6-30-15
• Rms variability properties of the iron K alpha line in Seyfert galaxies
• Relativistic Reflection Modeling in AGN and Related Variability from PCA: A Brief Review