Shedding New Light on the Innermost Regions of AGN with XMM, Suzaku and NuSTAR
Abstract
We request funding for two years ($257,041 in total) in support of accepted XMM- Newton and Suzaku observations of six bright, nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN): MCG-6-30-15, Ark 120, SWIFT J2127.4+5654, 3C120, NGC 4151 and IC 4329A. The first four of these AGN are to be observed simultaneously with XMM and NuSTAR during XMM's AO11 cycle, while the last two AGN will be studied simultaneously with Suzaku and NuSTAR during Suzaku's AO7 cycle. All six AGN observations were approved with priority A, and our observing campaign totals 1.14 Msec of exposure time. The XMM and Suzaku programs share four common goals: (1) to measure the angular momenta of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the hearts of these active galaxies, (2) to accurately characterize the physical properties of the poorly understood inner accretion disk/corona region in these AGN, and (3) to identify the driver(s) of the spectral variability across multiple physical timescales in these systems, and (4) to examine correlations that exist between the various physical properties of these SMBHs and their surroundings. These three science goals address a critical component of NASA's Physics of the Cosmos mission: "the behavior of matter and energy in extreme environments." The high prioritization and long exposures of our awarded XMM and Suzaku observations underscore the scientific merit of these goals, as judged by the high-energy astronomy community. Our observing campaign will yield simultaneous broad-band X-ray spectra (0.2-80 keV) of these AGN with the best signal-to-noise and spectral resolution ever obtained across this energy range, guaranteeing new insights into the physics at work in the innermost regions around SMBHs. Using a combination of timing analysis and detailed spectral modeling, we will achieve the first truly accurate understanding of the nature of the X-ray continuum in AGN. The low-background, high-energy data from NuSTAR in tandem with the sensitivity at lower energies from XMM and Suzaku will allowing us to conclusively measure both the optical depth and temperature of the coronal electrons for the first time and to robustly test the efficacy of various spectral models in characterizing it. In addition to providing a secure understanding of the physics that produces the X-ray continuum emission in AGN, the broad energy range and quality of these data will also allow us to conclusively disentangle the spectral signatures of complex absorption and inner disk reflection in our sources. Isolating the inner disk reflection features from the continuum and absorption will enable the angular momentum of the black hole in each galaxy to be measured with greater accuracy and precision than has ever been achieved. Measurements of black hole spin and an understanding of the structure and geometry of the innermost regions of AGN in a larger statistical sample are critical motivators for the next generation of high-energy astrophysics missions (e.g., ATHENA, EPE, IXO). As such, we must begin to address these questions in a smaller, well-defined sample of bright, nearby AGN with current observatories in order to develop our analysis methodologies and optimize the design of future instruments. These will be the first published results from NuSTAR campaigns with XMM and Suzaku on AGN, and the length of the observations ensures that they will be rich legacy datasets for the public data archives for years to come.
- Publication:
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NASA ADAP Proposal
- Pub Date:
- 2012
- Bibcode:
- 2012adap.prop...58B