Ion-Heated Thermal Comptonization Models and X-Ray Spectral Correlations in Active Galactic Nuclei
Abstract
Recent Ginga observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxies NGC 4051 and MCG 6-30-15 show a positive correlation between the 2 to 10 keV luminosity and photon spectral index alpha. A two-temperature thermal comptonization model with internal soft-photon production provides an explanation for this correlation. The electron temperature, decreases in response to an enhancement of the soft photon flux, resulting in a softening of the spectrum and an increase in the soft X-ray luminosity. The bulk of the soft photons are produced through pion production in collisions between the hot ions. A test of the model would be time correlations between soft and hard X-ray bands.
- Publication:
-
Two Topics in X-Ray Astronomy, Volume 1: X Ray Binaries. Volume 2: AGN and the X Ray Background
- Pub Date:
- November 1989
- Bibcode:
- 1989ESASP.296..925D
- Keywords:
-
- Active Galactic Nuclei;
- Compton Effect;
- Ionic Collisions;
- Spectral Correlation;
- Temperature Effects;
- X Ray Spectra;
- Background Radiation;
- Electron Energy;
- Particle Production;
- Pion Beams;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Stellar Models;
- Variability;
- Astronomy