Radio-quiet AGN Research Articles

DISCOVERY OF ULTRA-FAST OUTFLOWS IN A SAMPLE OF BROAD-LINE RADIO GALAXIES OBSERVED WITHSUZAKU

We present the results of a uniform and systematic search for blue-shifted Fe K absorption lines in the X-ray spectra of five bright Broad-Line Radio Galaxies (BLRGs) observed with Suzaku. We detect, for the first time at X-rays in radio-loud AGN, several absorption lines at energies greater than 7 keV in three out of five sources, namely 3C 111, 3C 120 and 3C 390.3. The lines are detected with high significance according to both the F-test and extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Their likely interpretation as blue-shifted Fe XXV and Fe XXVI K-shell resonance lines implies an origin from highly ionized gas outflowing with mildly relativistic velocities, in the range 0.04-0.15c. A fit with specific photo-ionization models gives ionization parameters in the range log_xi~4-5.6 and column densities of N_H~10^22-10^23 cm^-2. These characteristics are very similar to those of the Ultra-Fast Outflows (UFOs) previously observed in radio-quiet AGN. Their estimated location within ~0.01-0.3pc from the central super-massive black hole suggests a likely origin related with accretion disk winds/outflows. Depending on the absorber covering fraction, the mass outflow rate of these UFOs can be comparable to the accretion rate and their kinetic power can correspond to a significant fraction of the bolometric luminosity and is comparable to their typical jet power. Therefore, these UFOs can play a significant role in the expected feedback from the AGN on the surrounding environment and can give us further clues on the relation between the accretion disk and the formation of winds/jets in both radio-quiet and radio-loud AGN.

THE VLA-COSMOS PERSPECTIVE ON THE INFRARED-RADIO RELATION. I. NEW CONSTRAINTS ON SELECTION BIASES AND THE NON-EVOLUTION OF THE INFRARED/RADIO PROPERTIES OF STAR-FORMING AND ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS GALAXIES AT INTERMEDIATE AND HIGH REDSHIFT

VLA 1.4 GHz (rms noise ~0.012 mJy) and MIPS 24 and 70 micron (rms noise ~0.02 and ~1.7 mJy, respectively) observations covering the 2 square degree COSMOS field are combined with an extensive multi-wavelength data set to study the evolution of the IR-radio relation at intermediate and high redshift. With ~4500 sources -- of which ~30% have spectroscopic redshifts -- the current sample is significantly larger than previous ones used for the same purpose. Both monochromatic IR/radio flux ratios (q24 & q70), as well as the ratio of the total IR and the 1.4 GHz luminosity (qTIR) are used as indicators for the IR/radio properties of star forming galaxies and AGN. Using a sample jointly selected at IR and radio wavelengths in order to reduce selection biases, we provide firm support for previous findings that the IR-radio relation remains unchanged out to at least z~1.4. Moreover, based on data from ~150 objects we also find that the local relation likely still holds at 2.5<z<5. At redshift z<1.4 we observe that radio-quiet AGN populate the locus of the IR-radio relation in similar numbers as star forming sources. In our analysis we employ the methods of survival analysis in order to ensure a statistically sound treatment of flux limits arising from non-detections. We determine the observed shift in average IR/radio properties of IR- and radio- selected populations and show that it can reconcile apparently discrepant measurements presented in the literature. Finally, we also investigate variations of the IR/radio ratio with IR and radio luminosity and find that it hardly varies with IR luminosity but is a decreasing function of radio luminosity.

ACCELERATION AND COLLIMATION OF RELATIVISTIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC DISK WINDS

We perform axisymmetric relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate the acceleration and collimation of jets and outflows from disks around compact objects. The fiducial disk surface (respectively a slow disk wind) is prescribed as boundary condition for the outflow. We apply this technique for the first time in the context of relativistic jets. The strength of this approach is that it allows us to run a parameter study in order to investigate how the accretion disk conditions govern the outflow formation. Our simulations using the PLUTO code run for 500 inner disk rotations and on a physical grid size of 100x200 inner disk radii. In general, we obtain collimated beams of mildly relativistic speed and mass-weighted half-opening angles of 3-7 degrees. When we increase the outflow Poynting flux by injecting an additional disk toroidal field into the inlet, Lorentz factors up to 6 are reached. These flows gain super-magnetosonic speed and remain Poynting flux dominated. The light surface of the outflow magnetosphere tends to align vertically - implying three relativistically distinct regimes in the flow - an inner sub-relativistic domain close to the jet axis, a (rather narrow) relativistic jet and a surrounding subrelativistic outflow launched from the outer disk surface - similar to the spine-sheath structure currently discussed for asymptotic jet propagation and stability. The outer subrelativistic disk wind is a promising candidate for the X-ray absorption winds that are observed in many radio-quiet AGN.

SDSS spectroscopy for blazars in the Fermi LAT bright AGN sample

We have collected all available spectra and photometric data from the SDSS catalog for bright AGNs complied from the first three months of the Fermi large area telescope all-sky survey. Based on the 106 high-confidence and 11 low-confidence associated bright AGN list, the photometry data are collected from SDSS DR7 for 28 sources (12 BL Lacs and 16 FSRQs), two of which are low-confidence associated bright AGNs. Among these 28 SDSS photometric sources, SDSS spectra are available for 20 sources (6 BL Lacs and 14 FSRQs). The black hole masses MBH and the broad line region (BLR) luminosity were obtained for 14 FSRQs by measuring the line-widths and strengths of broad emission lines from the SDSS spectra. The broad emission line measurements of five FSRQs are presented for the first time in this work. The optical continuum emission of these 14 FSRQs is found to be likely dominated by the non-thermal jet emission by comparing the relationship between the broad Mg II line and continuum luminosity to that of radio-quiet AGNs. The black hole mass of the 14 FSRQs ranges from 108 2 M⊙ to 109.9 M⊙, with most of the sources larger than 109 M⊙. The Eddington ratio Lbol/LEdd ranges from 10−1.5 to ∼ 1. This implies that an optically thin, geometrically thick accretion disk may exist in these FSRQs.

The black hole mass, Eddington ratio andMBH-σ[O iii]relation in young radio galaxies

The BH masses and the Eddington ratios for a sample of 65 young radio galaxies [27 GPS and 38 CSS sources] are estimated by various methods. We find that the average BH mass of these young radio galaxies is <log M_bh>=8.3, which is less than that of radio loud QSOs and low redshift radio galaxies(<log M_bh>=9.0). The CSS/GPS sources have relatively high Eddington ratios with average ratio <log L_bol/L_Edd>=-0.56, which are similar to those of narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s). It suggests that the CSS/GPS sources may not only be in the early stage of radio activities, but also in the early stage of their accretion activities. We find that the young radio galaxies as a class deviate systematically from the M_bh-\sigma_* relation defined by nearby inactive galaxies, when using \sigma_[O III] as a surrogate for the stellar velocity dispersion \sigma_*. There is no significant correlation between the deviation of the [O III] emission line width, $\Delta\sigma$=\sigma_[O III]-\sigma_[pred], and the jet/accretion power, where \sigma_[pred] are calculated from the Tremaine et al. relation using the estimated BH masses. However, we find that the deviation $\Delta\sigma$ in young radio galaxies is well correlated with the Eddington ratio, and this correlation is found to be similar to that of radio quiet AGN (QSOs/NLS1s) where the radio jet is absent or weak. We suggest that the accretion activities may still play an important role in shaping the kinematics of [O III] narrow line in these young radio galaxies.

Investigating the disk-corona relation in a blue AGN sample

We compile a blue AGN sample from SDSS and investigate how the ratio of hard X-ray to bolometric luminosity depends on the Eddington ratio and black hole mass. Our sample comprises 240 radio-quiet Seyfert 1 galaxies and QSOs. We find that the fraction of hard X-ray luminosity (log(L2−10keV/Lbol)) decreases with an increase of the Eddington ratio. We also find that the fraction of hard X-ray luminosity is independent of the black hole mass for radio-quiet AGNs. The relation of log(L2−10keV/Lbol) decreasing with increasing Eddington ratio indicates that X-ray bolometric correction is not a constant, from a larger sample supporting the results of Vasudevan & Fabian. We interpret our results by the disk corona evaporation/condensation model. In the frame work of this model, Compton cooling becomes efficient in cooling the corona at high accretion rates (in units of Eddington rate), leading to condensation of coronal gas to the disk. Consequently, the relative strength of the corona to the disk becomes weaker at higher Eddington ratios. Therefore, the fraction of hard X-ray emission to disk emission and hence to the bolometric emission is smaller at higher Eddington ratios. The independence of the fraction of hard X-ray luminosity with respect to the mass of the black hole can also be explained by the disk corona model since the coronal structure and luminosity (in units of Eddington luminosity) are independent of the mass of black holes.

Probing the Evolution of Black Hole Mass Through Cosmic Time

Our research addresses the observed evolution of MBH and L/LEdd of type 1 radio-quiet AGNs. Measurements of MBH and L/LEdd in a sample of sources at z&lt;0.75 using the “Hβ method” (Netzer &amp; Trakkhtenbrot 2007) as well as new measurements of these properties at 0.75&lt;z&lt;2 using the “Mg ii λ2798 method”) show significant evolution of L/LEdd for any value of MBH up to z = 2 (see Figure 1). In a dedicated near-IR project we obtained the most reliable sample of MBH and L/LEdd estimates for z ~ 2.3 and z ~ 3.4 AGN (Netzer et al. 2007; Shemmer et al. 2004); the distribution of L/LEdd is very broad (Figure 1) and ~ 1/2 of the sources have L/LEdd&lt;0.2, implying tgrowth&gt;tuniverse and hence an earlier epoch of fast growth. Our on-going Gemini–VLT campaign focuses on z ~ 4.8 sources, with the Mg ii line observed in the H-band (Figure 2). The analysis of ~ 1/3 of the spectra uncovers, again, a broad distribution of L/LEdd, with several sources having L/LEdd ≫ 1, suggesting an early episode of fast BH growth.

Intranight polarization variability in radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN

(Abriged) Intranight polarization variability in AGN has not been studied extensively so far. Studying the variability in polarization makes it possibly to distinguish between different emission mechanisms. Thus it can help answering the question if intranight variability in radio-loud and radio-quiet AGN is of the same or of fundamentally different origin. In this paper we investigate intranight polarization variability in AGN. Our sample consists of 28 AGN at low to moderate redshifts (0.048 < z < 1.036), 12 of which are radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) and 16 are radio-loud blazars. The subsample of blazars consists of eight flat-spectrum radio-quasars (FSRQs) and eight BL Lac objects. We find clear differences between the two samples. A majority of the radio-loud AGN show moderate to high degrees of polarization, more than half of them also show variability in polarization. There seems to be a dividing line for polarization intranight variability at P~5 per cent over which all objects vary in polarization. Only two out of 12 radio-quiet quasars show polarized emission, both at levels of P<1 per cent. The lack of polarization intranight variability in radio-quiet AGN points towards accretion instabilities being the cause for intranight flux variability whereas the high duty cycle of polarization variability in radio-loud objects is more likely caused by instabilities in the jet or changes of physical conditions in the jet plasma.

X-ray evidence for a mildly relativistic and variable outflow in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 509

There is growing evidence for the presence of blueshifted Fe K absorption lines in a number of radio-quiet AGNs and QSOs. These may be fundamental to probe flow dynamics near supermassive black holes. Here we aim at verifying and better characterising the existence of such Fe K absorption at ~8-10 keV in the luminous Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk509, one of the most promising target for these studies. We present a comprehensive spectral analysis of the six XMM-Newton observations of the source (for a total of ~200 ks), focusing on the detailed and systematic search for absorption features in the high-energy data. We detect several absorption features at rest-frame energies ~8-8.5 keV and ~9.7 keV. The lines are consistent with being produced by H-like iron Ka and Kb shell absorptions associated with an outflow with mildly relativistic velocity of ~0.14-0.2 c. The lines are found to be variable in energy and, marginally in intensity, implying that variations in either the column density, geometry and/or ionization structure of the outflow are common in this source.

A Suzaku observation of the ULIRG IRAS19254-7245: discerning the AGN component

We discuss here a long Suzaku observation of IRAS 19254-7245 (also known as the Superantennae), one of the brightest and well studied Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxies in the local Universe. This long observation provided the first detection of IRAS 19254-7245 above 10 keV, and measured a 15-30 keV flux of ~5x10^(-12) erg cm^-2 s^-1. The detection above 10 keV has allowed us to unveil, for the first time, the intrinsic luminosity of the AGN hosted in IRAS 19254-7245, which is strongly absorbed (Nh ~ 3x10^(24) cm^-2) and has an intrinsic luminosity in the QSO regime (L(2-10 keV) ~ 3 x 10^(44) erg s^-1). The 2-10 keV spectrum of IRAS 19254-7245 is remarkably hard (Gamma~1.2), and presents a strong iron line (EW ~0.7 keV), clearly suggesting that below 10 keV we are seeing only reprocessed radiation. Since the energy of the Fe K emission is found to be at ~6.7 keV, consistent with He-like Fe, and its EW is too high to be explained in a starburst dominated scenario, we suggest that the 2--10 keV emission of IRAS 19254-7245 is dominated by reflection/scattering from highly ionized matter. Indeed, within this latter scenario we found that the photon index of the illuminating source is Gamma=1.87 (+0.11,-0.28), in excellent agreement with the mean value found for radio quiet unobscured AGN.

CAIXA: a catalogue of AGN in the XMM-Newton archive

We presented CAIXA, a Catalogue of AGN in the XMM-Newton Archive, in a companion paper. Here, a systematic search for correlations between the X-ray spectral properties and the multiwavelength data was performed for the sources in CAIXA. All the significant (>99.9% confidence level) correlations are discussed along with their physical implications on current models of AGN. Two main correlations are discussed in this paper: a) a very strong anti-correlation between the FWHM of the H$\beta$ optical line and the ratio between the soft and the hard X-ray luminosity. Although similar anti-correlations between optical line width and X-ray spectral steepness have already been discussed in the literature (see e.g., Laor et al. 1994, Boller et al. 1996, Brandt et al. 1997), we consider the formulation we present in this paper is more fundamental, as it links model-independent quantities. Coupled with a strong anti-correlation between the V to hard X-ray flux ratio and the H$\beta$ FHWM, it supports scenarios for the origin of the soft excess in AGN, which require strong suppression of the hard X-ray emission; b) a strong (and expected) correlation between the X-ray luminosity and the black hole mass. Its slope, flatter than 1, is consistent with Eddington ratio-dependent bolometric corrections, such as that recently proposed by Vasudevan & Fabian (2009). Moreover, we critically review through various statistical tests the role that distance biases play in the strong radio to X-ray luminosity correlation found in CAIXA and elsewhere; we conclude that only complete, unbiased samples (such as that recently published by Behar & Laor, 2008) should be used to draw observational constraints on the origin of radio emission in radio-quiet AGN.

X-RAY INSIGHTS INTO THE NATURE OF WEAK EMISSION-LINE QUASARS AT HIGH REDSHIFT

We present Chandra observations of nine high-redshift quasars (z=2.7-5.9) discovered by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with weak or undetectable high-ionization emission lines in their UV spectra (WLQs). Adding archival X-ray observations of six additional sources of this class has enabled us to place the strongest constraints yet on the X-ray properties of this remarkable class of AGNs. Although our data cannot rule out the possibility that the emission lines are overwhelmed by a relativistically boosted continuum, as manifested by BL Lac objects, we find that WLQs are considerably weaker in the X-ray and radio bands than the majority of BL Lacs found at much lower redshifts. If WLQs are high-redshift BL Lacs, then it is difficult to explain the lack of a large parent population of X-ray and radio bright weak-lined sources at high redshift. We also consider the possibility that WLQs are quasars with extreme properties, and in particular that the emission lines are suppressed by high accretion rates. Using joint spectral fitting of the X-ray spectra of 11 WLQs we find that the mean photon index in the hard X-ray band is consistent with those observed in typical radio-quiet AGNs with no hint of an unusually steep hard-X-ray spectrum. This result poses a challenge to the hypothesis that WLQs have extremely high accretion rates, and we discuss additional observations required to test this idea.

EXPLORING THE DISK-JET CONNECTION FROM THE PROPERTIES OF NARROW-LINE REGIONS IN POWERFUL YOUNG RADIO-LOUD ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

We investigate the optical emission-line flux ratios of narrow-line regions, in order to determine whether the formation of AGN jets requires specific accretion conditions. We find that bright compact radio galaxies, which are powerful radio galaxies in the early stage of the jet activity, exhibit systematically larger flux ratios of [O{\sc i}]$\lambda$6300/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007 and smaller flux ratios of [O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$4363 than radio-quiet (RQ) Seyfert 2 galaxies. Comparing the observed line ratios with photoionization models, it is found that the difference in the flux ratio of low- to high-ionization lines (e.g., [O{\sc i}]$\lambda$6300/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$5007) can be well understood by the difference in the spectral energy distribution (SED) of ionizing sources. Powerful young radio-loud (YRL) AGNs favor SED without a strong big blue bump, i.e., a radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF), while RQ AGNs are consistent with the models adopting SED with a strong big blue bump, i.e., a geometrically thin, optically thick disk. These findings imply that the formation of powerful AGN jets requires the accretion disk with harder ionizing SED (i.e., a RIAF). We discuss the obscuring structure of YRL AGNs as a plausible origin of the difference in flux ratios of [O{\sc iii}]$ \lambda$5007/[O{\sc iii}]$\lambda$4363.

On the absorption of X-ray bright broad absorption line quasars

Context. Most X-ray studies of broad absorption line quasars (BALQSOs) found significant (NH ∼ 10 22−24 cm −2 ) intrinsic column densities of gas absorbing an underlying typical power-law continuum emission, in agreement with expectations from radiatively driven accretion disk wind models. However, direct spectral analysis was performed only on a limited number of bright sources. Aims. We investigate the X-ray emission of a large number of BALQSOs at medium to high redshift (0.8 < z < 3.7) with the best data available to date. Methods. We drew a large BALQSO sample from the cross-correlation of SDSS DR5 and 2XMM catalogs to perform moderatequality X-ray spectral and hardness ratio analysis and X-ray/optical photometry. We compare our results with previous studies of BALQSOs and theoretical disk wind model expectations. Results. No or little intrinsic X-ray neutral absorption is found for one third of the spectroscopically analyzed BALQSO sample (NH < 4 × 10 21 cm −2 at 90% confidence level), and lower than typical X-ray absorption is found in the remaining sources (� NH �∼ 5 × 10 22 cm −2 ) even including the faintest sources analyzed through hardness ratio analysis. The mean photon index is Γ ∼ 1.9, with no significant evolution with redshift. The optical/X-ray spectral indices αox are typical of radio-quiet broad line AGN, in contrast with the known (from previous X-ray studies) “soft X-ray weakness” of BALQSOs and in agreement with the lack of X-ray absorption. We found the low-absorption index (AI) subsample to host the lowest X-ray absorbing column densities of the entire sample. Conclusions. X-ray selected BALQSOs show lower X-ray absorption than purely optically selected ones, and soft X-ray weakness does not hold for any of them. Their outflows may be launched by different mechanisms than classical soft X-ray weak BALQSOs or they may be the tail of the already known population seen along a different line of sight, in both cases expanding the observational parameter space for their search and investigation.

The Black Hole Fundamental Plane: Revisited with a Larger Sample of Radio and X‐Ray–Emitting Broad‐Line AGNs

We use a recently released SDSS catalog of X-ray-emitting AGNs in conjunction with the FIRST radio survey to investigate the black hole (BH) fundamental plane relationship between the 1.4 GHz radio luminosity ( -->Lr), 0.1-2.4 keV X-ray luminosity ( -->LX), and black hole mass ( -->M), namely, -->log Lr = ξRXlog LX + ξRMlog M + constant . For this purpose, we compile a large sample of 725 broad-line AGNs, which consists of 498 radio-loud sources and 227 radio-quiet sources. We confirm that radio-loud objects have a steeper slope ( -->ξRX) with respect to radio-quiet objects and that the dependence of the BH fundamental plane on the BH mass ( -->ξRM) is weak. We also find tight correlation with a similar slope between the soft X-ray luminosity and broad emission-line luminosity for both radio-loud and radio-quiet AGNs, which implies that their soft X-ray emission is unbeamed and probably related to the accretion process. With the current larger sample, we find that there is no clear evidence of evolution for radio-quiet AGNs, while for radio-loud ones there is a weak trend in which -->ξRM decreases as the redshift increases. This may be understood in part as due to the observed evolution of the radio spectral index as a function of redshift. Finally, we discuss the relativistic beaming effect and other uncertainties related to the BH fundamental plane. We conclude that, although it does introduce scatter into the fundamental plane relation, Doppler boosting alone is not enough to explain the observed steeper value of -->ξRX in the radio-loud subsample with respect to the radio-quiet ones.

A semi-empirical simulation of the extragalactic radio continuum sky for next generation radio telescopes

We have developed a semi-empirical simulation of the extragalactic radio continuum sky suitable for aiding the design of next generation radio interferometers such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The emphasis is on modelling the large-scale cosmological distribution of radio sources rather than the internal details of individual galaxies. Here we provide a description of the simulation to accompany the online release of a catalogue of 320 million simulated radio sources. The simulation covers 20x20 deg^2 - a plausible upper limit to the instantaneous field of view attainable with future (e.g. SKA) aperture array technologies - out to redshift z=20, and down to flux density limits of 10 nJy at 151, 610 MHz, 1.4, 4.86 and 18 GHz. Five distinct source types are included: radio-quiet AGN, radio-loud AGN of the FRI and FRII structural classes, and star-forming galaxies, the latter split into populations of quiescent and starbursting galaxies. In our semi-empirical approach, the simulated sources are drawn from observed (or extrapolated) luminosity functions and grafted onto an underlying dark matter density field with biases which reflect their measured large-scale clustering. A numerical Press-Schechter-style filtering of the density field is used to identify and populate clusters of galaxies. Radio source structures are built from point source and elliptical sub-components, and for FRI and FRII sources an orientation-based unification and beaming model is used to partition flux between the core and extended lobes and hotspots. The simulation output can be post-processed to achieve more complete agreement with observational data in the years ahead, with the aim of using these 'idealised skies' in telescope simulators to optimise the design of the SKA itself (abridged).

XMM-Newtonobservations of 4 luminous radio-quiet AGN, and the soft X-ray excess problem

Context. The nature and origin of the soft X-ray excess in radio-quiet AGN is still an open issue. The interpretation in terms of thermal disc emission has been challanged by the discovery of the constancy of the effective temperature despite the wide range of Black Hole masses of the observed sources. Alternative models are reflection from ionized matter and absorption in a relativistically smeared wind. Aims. We analyzed XMM-Newton observations of four luminous radio-quiet AGN with the aim of characterising their main properties and in particular the soft excess. Methods. Different spectral models for the soft excess were tried: thermal disc emission, Comptonization, ionized reflection, relativistically smeared winds. Results. Comptonization of thermal emission and smeared winds provide the best fits, but the other models also provide acceptable fits. All models, however, return parameters very similar from source to source, despite the large differences in luminosities, Black Hole masses and Eddington ratios. Moreover, the smeared wind model requires very large smearing velocities. The UV to X-ray fluxes ratios are very different, but do not correlate with any other parameter. Conclusions. No fully satisfactory explanation for the soft X-ray excess is found. More informative data, such as observations in a broader energy band, are needed to make further progress.

X‐Ray Emission from Active Galactic Nuclei with Intermediate‐Mass Black Holes

We present a systematic X-ray study of eight AGNs with intermediate mass black holes (M_BH 8-95x10^4 Msun) based on 12 XMM-Newton observations. The sample includes the two prototype AGNs in this class - NGC4395 and POX52 and six other AGNs discovered with the SDSS. These AGNs show some of the strongest X-ray variability with the normalized excess variances being the largest and the power density break time scales being the shortest observed among radio-quiet AGNs. The excess variance -- luminosity correlation appears to depend on both the BH mass and the Eddington luminosity ratio. The break time scale -- black hole mass relations for AGN with IMBHs are consistent with that observed for massive AGNs. We find that the FWHM of the Hbeta or Halpha line is uncorrelated with the BH mass, but shows strong anticorrelation with the Eddington luminosity ratio. Four AGNs show clear evidence for soft X-ray excess emission (kT_in~150-200eV). X-ray spectra of three other AGNs are consistent with the presence of the soft excess emission. NGC4395 with lowest L/L_Edd lacks the soft excess emission. Evidently small black mass is not the primary driver of strong soft X-ray excess emission from AGNs. The X-ray spectral properties and optical-to-X-ray spectral energy distributions of these AGNs are similar to those of Seyfert 1 galaxies. The observed X-ray/UV properties of AGNs with IMBHs are consistent with these AGNs being low mass extension of more massive AGNs; those with high Eddington luminosity ratio looking more like narrow-line Seyfert 1s while those with low $L/L_{Edd}$ looking more like broad-line Seyfert 1s.

Heavy absorption and soft X-ray emission lines in the XMM-Newton spectrum of the type 2 radio-loud quasar 3C 234

We report results on a 40 ks XMM-Newton observation of the Type 2 quasar 3C 234. Optical spectropolarimetric data have demonstrated the presence of a hidden broad-line region in this powerful (M_V <~ -24.2 after reddening and starlight correction) narrow-line FRII radio galaxy. Our analysis is aimed at investigating the X-ray spectral properties of this peculiar source which have remained poorly known so far. We analyze the 0.5--10 keV spectroscopic data collected by the EPIC cameras in 2006. The X-ray spectrum of this radio-loud quasar is typical of a local Compton-thin Seyfert 2 galaxy. It exhibits strong absorption (Nh~3.5 x 10^{23} cm^{-2}) and a narrow, neutral Fe Kalpha emission line with an equivalent width of ~140+/-40 eV. Our observation also reveals that the soft portion of the spectrum is characterized by strong emission lines with a very low level of scattered primary continuum. A possible explanation of these features in terms of thermal emission from a two-temperature collisionally ionized plasma emission seems to be unlikely due to the high luminosity estimated for this component (L(0.5-2) ~ 6 x 10^{42} erg/s). It is likely that most of the soft X-ray emission originates from a photoionized plasma as commonly observed in obscured, radio-quiet Seyfert-like AGNs. This X-ray observation has definitively confirmed the presence of a hidden quasar in 3C 234. The line-rich spectrum and the steepness of the hard X-ray continuum (Gamma ~ 1.7) found in this source weaken the hypothesis that the bulk ofthe X-ray emission in radio-loud AGNs with high excitation optical lines arises from jet non-thermal emission.

The Nature of a Broad‐Line Radio Galaxy: SimultaneousRXTEandChandraHETG Observations of 3C 382

We present the results from simultaneous Chandra and RXTE observations of the X-ray bright broad-line radio galaxy (BLRG) 3C 382. The long (120 ks) exposure with Chandra HETG allows a detailed study of the soft X-ray continuum and of the narrow component of the Fe Kα line. The RXTE PCA data are used to put an upper limit on the broad-line component and constrain the hard X-ray continuum. A strong soft excess below 1 keV is observed in the time-averaged HETG spectrum, which can be parameterized with a steep power law or a thermal model. The flux variability at low energies indicates that the origin of the soft excess cannot be entirely ascribed to the circumnuclear diffuse emission, detected by Chandra on scales of 20''-30'' (22-33 kpc). A narrow (σ < 90 eV) Fe Kα line (with EW< 100 eV) is observed by the Chandra HEG. Similar values for the line parameters are measured by the RXTE PCA, suggesting that the contribution from a broad-line component is negligible. The fact that the exposure is split into two observations taken 3 days apart allows us to investigate the spectral and temporal evolution of the source on different timescales. Significant flux variability associated with spectral changes is observed on timescales of hours and days. The spectral variability is similar to that observed in radio-quiet AGN ruling out a jet-dominated origin of the X-rays.