We examine archival XMM-Newton data on the extremely variable narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) active galactic nucleus (AGN) 1H 0707-495. We construct fractional excess variance (Fvar) spectra for each epoch, including the recent 2019 observation taken simultaneously with eROSITA. We explore both intrinsic and environmental absorption origins for the variability in different epochs, and examine the effect of the photoionised emission lines from outflowing gas. In particular, we show that the unusual soft variability first detected by eROSITA in 2019 is due to a combination of an obscuration event and strong suppression of the variance at 1 keV by photoionised emission, which makes the variance below 1 keV appear more extreme. We also examine the variability on long timescales, between observations, and find that it is well described by a combination of intrinsic variability and absorption variability. We suggest that the typical extreme high frequency variability which 1H 0707-495 is known for is intrinsic to the source, but the large amplitude, low frequency variability that causes prolonged low-flux intervals is likely dominated by variable low-ionisation, low velocity absorption.

It is thought that the spacetime metric around astrophysical black holes is well described by the Kerr solution of Einstein’s gravity. However, robust observational evidence of the Kerr nature of these objects is still lacking. Here we fit the X-ray spectrum of the stellar-mass black hole in GS 1354–645 with a disk reflection model beyond Einstein’s gravity in order test the Kerr black hole hypothesis. We consider the Johannsen metric with the deformation parameters α 13 and α 22. The Kerr metric is recovered for . For α 22 = 0, our measurements of the black hole spin and of the deformation parameter α 13 are and −0.34 < α 13 < 0.16, respectively. For α 13 = 0, we find a * >  0.975 and −0.09 < α 22 < 0.42. All the reported uncertainties are at 99% of confidence level for two relevant parameters.

We present a detailed spectral analysis of the joint XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations of the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the Seyfert 1.5 Galaxy ESO 362-G18. The broadband (0.3-79 keV) spectrum shows the presence of a power-law continuum with a soft excess below 2 keV, iron Kα emission (∼6.4 keV), and a Compton hump (peaking at ∼20 keV). We find that the soft excess can be modeled by two different possible scenarios: a warm (kT e ∼ 0.2 keV) and optically thick (τ ∼ 34) Comptonizing corona, or with a relativistically blurred reflection off a high-density ( [ ]>n log cm 18.3 e 3) inner disk. These two models cannot be easily distinguished solely from their fit statistics. However, the low temperature (kT e ∼ 20 keV) and the thick optical depth (τ ∼ 5) of the hot corona required by the warm corona scenario are uncommon for AGNs. We also fit a "hybrid" model, which includes both disk reflection and a warm corona. Unsurprisingly, as this is the most complex of the models considered, this provides the best fit, and more reasonable coronal parameters. In this case, the majority of the soft excess flux arises in the warm corona component. However, based on recent simulations of warm coronae, it is not clear whether such a structure can really exist at the low accretion rates relevant for ESO 362-G18 ( m 0.015). This may therefore argue in favor of a scenario in which the soft excess is instead dominated by the relativistic reflection. Based on this model, we find that the data would require a compact hot corona (h ∼ 3 R Horizon ) around a rapidly spinning (a å > 0.927) black hole.Unified Astronomy Thesaurus concepts: Supermassive black holes (1663); X-ray astronomy (1810); Seyfert galaxies (1447); High energy astrophysics (739); Active galactic nuclei (16); Astrophysical black holes (98); Spectroscopy (1558); X-ray active galactic nuclei (2035)

Abstract:Einstein's theory of general relativity was proposed over 100 years ago and has successfully passed a large number of observational tests in the weak field regime. However, the strong field regime is largely unexplored, and there are many modified and alternative theories that have the same predictions as Einstein's gravity for weak fields and present deviations when gravity becomes strong. RELXILL_NK is the first relativistic reflection model for probing the spacetime metric in the vicinity of astrophysical black holes and testing Einstein's gravity in the strong field regime. Here, we present our current constraints on possible deviations from Einstein's gravity obtained from the black holes in 1H0707-495, Ark 564, GX 339-4, and GS 1354-645.

We consider the family of singularity-free rotating black hole solutions in Einstein's conformal gravity found in Ref.[1] and we constrain the value of the conformal parameter L from the analysis of a 30 ks NuSTAR observation of the stellar-mass black hole in GS 1354-645 during its outburst in 2015. Our new constraint is much stronger than that found in previous work. Here we obtain L/M < 0.12 (99% confidence level, statistical uncertainty only).

SN 2014C was originally classified as a Type Ib supernova, but at phase ϕ = 127 days, post-explosion strong Hα emission was observed. SN 2014C has since been observed in radio, infrared, optical and X-ray bands. Here we present new optical spectroscopic and photometric data spanning ϕ = 947–2494 days post-explosion. We address the evolution of the broadened Hα emission line, as well as broad [O iii] emission and other lines. We also conduct a parallel analysis of all publicly available multiwavelength data. From our spectra, we find a nearly constant Hα FWHM velocity width of ∼2000 km s−1 that is significantly lower than that of other broadened atomic transitions (∼3000–7000 km s−1) present in our spectra ([O i] λ6300; [O iii] λ λ4959, 5007; He i λ7065; [Ca ii] λ λ7291, 7324). The late radio data demand a fast forward shock (∼10,000 km s−1 at ϕ = 1700 days) in rarified matter that contrasts with the modest velocity of the Hα. We propose that the infrared flux originates from a toroidal-like structure of hydrogen surrounding the progenitor system, while later emission at other wavelengths (radio, X-ray) likely originates predominantly from the reverse shock in the ejecta and the forward shock in the quasi-spherical progenitor He-wind. We propose that the Hα emission arises in the boundary layer between the ejecta and torus. We also consider the possible roles of a pulsar and a binary companion.

Ultrafast outflows (UFOs) have been detected in the high-quality X-ray spectra of a number of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with fairly high accretion rates and are thought to significantly contribute to the AGN feedback. After a decade of dedicated study, their launching mechanisms and structure are still not well understood, but variability techniques may provide useful constraints. In this work therefore we perform a flux-resolved X-ray spectroscopy on a highly accreting and variable NLS1 AGN, 1H 0707−495, using all archival XMM–Newton observations to study the structure of the UFO. We find that the wind spectral lines weaken at higher luminosities, most likely due to an increasing ionization parameter as previously found in a few similar sources. Instead, the velocity is anticorrelated with the luminosity, which is opposite to the trend observed in the NLS1 IRAS 13224−3809. Furthermore, the detection of the emission lines, which are not observed in IRAS 13224−3809, indicates a wind with a larger opening angle in 1H 0707−495, presumably due to a higher accretion rate. The emitting gas is found to remain broadly constant with the luminosity. We describe the variability of the wind with a scenario where the strong radiation extends the launch radius outwards and shields the outer emitting gas, similarly to super-Eddington compact objects, although other possible explanations are discussed. Our work provides several hints for a multiphase outflow in 1H 0707−495.

Accretion and ejection of matter in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are tightly connected phenomena and represent fundamental mechanisms regulating the growth of the central supermassive black hole and the evolution of the host galaxy. However, the exact physical processes involved are not yet fully understood. We present a high-resolution spectral analysis of a simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observation of the narrow line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) AGN 1H 1934-063, during which the X-ray flux dropped by a factor of ∼6 and subsequently recovered within 140 kiloseconds. By means of the time-resolved and flux-resolved X-ray spectroscopy, we discover a potentially variable warm absorber and a relatively stable ultra-fast outflow (UFO, vUFO ∼ −0.075 c) with a mild ionization state (log (ξ/erg cm s−1) ∼ 1.6). The detected emission lines (especially a strong and broad feature around 1 keV) are of unknown origin and cannot be explained with emission from plasmas in photo- or collisional-ionization equilibrium. Such emission lines could be well described by a strongly blueshifted (z ∼ −0.3) secondary reflection off the base of the equatorial outflows, which may reveal the link between the reprocessing of the inner accretion flow photons and the ejection. However, this scenario although being very promising is only tentative and will be tested with future observations.