X-ray reflection spectra from ionized slabs

Ross, R. R.; Fabian, A. C.; Young, Andrew J.

doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02528.x

Cited by 256 publications

(340 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Downward motion beams the radiation towards the disk and increases the local disk reprocessing, while motion away from the disk leads toward beaming away from the disk, thereby decreasing reprocessing [156,157]. Finally, as we will further discuss below, if the disk surface is highly ionized, then rather than being reprocessed by the disk into soft radiation, the hard radiation will merely reflect back through the corona, without substantially cooling it [158][159][160][161].…”

Section: Andmentioning

confidence: 98%

Fluorescent iron lines as a probe of astrophysical black hole systems

2003

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Section: Andmentioning

confidence: 98%

Fluorescent iron lines as a probe of astrophysical black hole systems

2003

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“…where F is the total illuminating flux (from 0.01 to 100 keV) and is the hydrogen number density (Ross et al 1999). n H…”

Section: X-ray-illuminated Slabsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Iron Kα Emission from X-Ray Reflection: Predictions for Gamma-Ray Burst Models

Ballantyne¹,

Ramírez-Ruiz²

2001

The Astrophysical Journal

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Recent observations of several g-ray burst (GRB) afterglows have shown evidence for a large amount of X-ray line-emitting material, possibly arising from ionized iron. A significant detection of an X-ray spectral feature, such as that found in the Chandra observation of GRB 991216, may provide important constraints on the immediate environment of the burst and hence on progenitor models. The large Fe Ka equivalent widths inferred from the X-ray observations favor models in which the line is produced when the primary X-ray emission from the source strikes Thomson-thick material and Compton scatters into our line of sight. We present such reflection spectra here, computed in a fully self-consistent manner, and discuss the range of ionization parameters that may be relevant to different models of GRBs. We argue that the presence of a strong hydrogen-like Ka line is unlikely, because Fe xxvi photons would be trapped resonantly and removed from the line core by Compton scattering. In contrast, a strong narrow emission line from He-like Fe xxv is prominent in the model spectra. We briefly discuss how these constraints may affect the line energy determination in GRB 991216.

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“…However, as the Fe emission line is a reflection signature, it should be accompanied with a reflection continuum extending over a wide bandpass; at the same time, the line and its reflection continuum should self-consistently determine the ionisation balance of the disc and include Compton scattering (e.g. George & Fabian 1991;Ross & Fabian 1993;Ross et al 1999). An inappropriate modelling of the underlying continuum, as well as not including any of these processes in the analysis, could lead to incorrect results from the line modelling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Broad iron line in the fast spinning neutron-star system 4U 1636−53

Sanna

Hiemstra

Méndez

et al. 2013

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

111

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We analysed the X-ray spectra of six observations, simultaneously taken with XMMNewton and Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary 4U 1636-53. The observations cover several states of the source, and therefore a large range of inferred mass accretion rate. These six observations show a broad emission line in the spectrum at around 6.5 keV, likely due to iron. We fitted this line with a set of phenomenological models of a relativistically broadened line, plus a model that accounts for relativistically smeared and ionised reflection from the accretion disc. The latter model includes the incident emission from both the neutronstar surface or boundary layer and the corona that is responsible for the high-energy emission in these systems. From the fits with the reflection model we found that in four out of the six observations the main contribution to the reflected spectrum comes from the neutron-star surface or boundary layer, whereas in the other two observations the main contribution to the reflected spectrum comes from the corona. We found that the relative contribution of these two components is not correlated to the state of the source. From the phenomenological models we found that the iron line profile is better described by a symmetric, albeit broad, profile. The width of the line cannot be explained only by Compton broadening, and we therefore explored the case of relativistic broadening. We further found that the direct emission from the disc, boundary layer, and corona generally evolved in a manner consistent with the standard accretion disc model, with the disc and boundary layer becoming hotter and the disc moving inwards as the source changed from the hard in to the soft state. The iron line, however, did not appear to follow the same trend.

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X-ray reflection spectra from ionized slabs

Cited by 256 publications

References 24 publications

Fluorescent iron lines as a probe of astrophysical black hole systems

Fluorescent iron lines as a probe of astrophysical black hole systems

Iron Kα Emission from X-Ray Reflection: Predictions for Gamma-Ray Burst Models

Broad iron line in the fast spinning neutron-star system 4U 1636−53

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