Open AccessOn the hard X‐ray spectra of radio‐loud active galaxies
Author(s) -
Ballantyne D. R.,
Ross R. R.,
Fabian A. C.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05509.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , active galactic nucleus , accretion (finance) , ionization , galaxy , spectral line , reflection (computer programming) , astronomy , accretion disc , radio galaxy , line (geometry) , emission spectrum , ion , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
Over the last few years X‐ray observations of broad‐line radio galaxies (BLRGs) by ASCA , RXTE and BeppoSAX have shown that these objects seem to exhibit weaker X‐ray reflection features (such as the iron K α line) than radio‐quiet Seyferts. This has lead to speculation that the optically thick accretion disc in radio‐loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) may be truncated to an optically thin flow in the inner regions of the source. Here, we propose that the weak reflection features are a result of reprocessing in an ionized accretion disc. This would alleviate the need for a change in accretion geometry in these sources. Calculations of reflection spectra from an ionized disc for situations expected in radio‐loud AGN (high accretion rate, moderate‐to‐high black hole mass) predict weak reprocessing features. This idea was tested by fitting the ASCA spectrum of the bright BLRG 3C 120 with the constant density ionized disc models of Ross & Fabian. A good fit was found with an ionization parameter of ξ ∼4000 erg cm s ‐1 and the reflection fraction fixed at unity. If observations of BLRGs by XMM‐Newton show evidence for ionized reflection then this would support the idea that a high accretion rate is likely required to launch powerful radio jets.