October 7, 1998
Warm absorbers are an important new tool for investigating the conditions within the central regions of active galaxies. They have been observed in ~50% of the well-studied Seyfert galaxies and have also been detected in quite a number of Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLSy1). Here, we present a study of the X-ray properties of several NLSy1s with focus on their warm absorbers: (a) An analysis of all ROSAT PSPC observations of NGC 4051 including new ones is performed, which reveals variability by a factor ~30 in count rate and much less variability in the warm absorber parameters. (b) The possibility of a dusty warm absorber in IRAS 13349+2438 is explored on the basis of photoionization models for dusty warm gas and explicit ROSAT spectral fits. (c) The X-ray spectrum of the NLSy1 1E0117.2-2837 is analyzed. It can be successfully described by a very steep powerlaw of photon index G_x = -4, or alternatively by a warm-absorbed flat powerlaw. UV-EUV emission lines expected to arise from the warm material are predicted. (d) The strong spectral variability of RX J0134.3-4258 (from G_x = -4.4 in the ROSAT survey observation, to ~ -2.2$ in our subsequent pointing) is examined in terms of warm absorption.
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May 8, 2000
We present a study of the X-ray properties of several NLS1 galaxies, focusing on their warm absorbers. In the first part, we discuss properties of dusty and dust-free warm absorbers in NLS1s, and study their potential contribution to high-ionization optical iron lines. In the second part, we summarize our work on the exceptional spectral variability of the NLS1 galaxy RX J0134.3-4258 (from Gamma about -4.4 in the ROSAT all-sky survey observation, to about -2.2 in our subseque...
December 4, 1996
We present and analyze a pointed ROSAT PSPC observation of the Seyfert galaxy NGC 4051. The X-ray spectrum consists of a powerlaw modified by absorption edges and an additional soft excess during the high-state in source flux. Modeling the spectrum in terms of warm absorption yields a large column density of the ionized material of log N_w = 22.7 and an ionization parameter of log U = 0.4. These properties are essentially constant throughout the observation, whereas the lumin...
December 18, 1996
We study the properties of warm absorbers in several active galaxies (AGN) and present new candidates, using ROSAT X-ray observations. Several aspects of the characteristics of warm absorbers are discussed, constraints on the density and location of the ionized material are provided; the impact of the presence of the warm gas on other observable spectral regions is investigated, particularly with respect to the possibility of a warm-absorber origin of one of the known high-io...
November 23, 1999
We present a study of the X-ray variability properties and spectral shapes of five active galaxies all of which show extreme or enigmatic X-ray properties. We focus on QSO 0117-2837, RXJ0134.3-4258, and NGC 4051, and briefly comment on Mrk 1298 and 4C +74.26. The individual objects were originally partly selected as candidates to host warm absorbers on the basis of (i) characteristic X-ray absorption features (NGC 4051, Mrk 1298, 4C +74.26), (ii) extreme X-ray spectral steepn...
February 13, 1998
We present a study of the properties of dusty warm absorbers and point to some important consequences for the resulting X-ray absorption spectra of AGN. Pronounced effects of the presence of dust in warm material are (i) an apparent flattening of the observed X-ray spectrum in the ROSAT band due to a sequence of absorption edges and a shift to lower gas ionization, (ii) the presence of a strong carbon edge at 0.28 keV, and (iii) the expectation of increased time variability o...
January 14, 2000
We first provide a review of the properties of warm absorbers concentrating on what we have learned from ROSAT and ASCA. This includes dusty and dust-free warm absorbers, non-X-ray emission and absorption features of warm absorbers, and the possible warm absorber interpretation of the peculiar 1.1 keV features. We then discuss facets of warm absorbers by a more detailed investigation of individual objects: In a first part, we discuss several candidates for dusty warm absorb...
May 8, 2000
We have discovered a Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy and identified it with an ultrasoft X-ray source RX 215319-1514 detected with ROSAT. We present its X-ray and optical spectral characteristics. Its redshift is found to be 0.0778+-0.0002. Its optical spectrum shows fairly strong Fe II emission lines, and its X-ray spectrum has an extremely steep power-law index of Gamma greater/equal 4, making it an extremely interesting example of this class of AGNs. No low-energy abso...
April 14, 1997
X-ray spectroscopy of Seyfert 1 galaxies often reveal absorption edges resulting from photoionized gas along the line-of-sight to the central engine, the so-called warm absorber. I discuss how recent ASCA observations of warm absorber variability in MCG-6-30-15 can lead us to reject a one-zone model and, instead, have suggested a multi-zone warm absorber. The evidence for dust within the warm absorbers of MCG-6-30-15 and IRAS 13349+2438 is also addressed. These dusty warm abs...
April 26, 1995
We report on AGN with extremely soft X-ray spectra observed with ROSAT. From their optical emission lines these objects are classified as narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1), almost all with extremely large Fe II/H-beta ratios and relatively narrow optical lines of hydrogen. Our results are based on a systematic study of 46 NLS1. We find that NLS1 have generally steeper soft X-ray continuum slopes than normal Seyfert 1s, and there may exist an anticorrelation between 0.1-2....
August 19, 1998
We present a study of the nature of warm absorbers on the basis of ROSAT X-ray observations and photoionization calculations carried out with the code Cloudy. We focus on `non-standard' warm absorbers: (i) the proposed dusty warm absorbers in IRAS 13349+2438 and IRAS 17020+4544, and possibly in 4C +74.26; (ii) we explore several scenarios to account for the recently observed peculiar absorption features around 1.1 keV on the basis of detailed photoionization models, and apply...