Skip to main content

NuSTAR spectral analysis of two bright Seyfert 1 galaxies: MCG 8-11-11 and NGC 6814

Article

Publications

Complete Citation

Overview

Abstract

  • We report on the NuSTAR observations of two bright Seyfert 1 galaxies, namely MCG 8-11-11 (100 ks) and NGC 6814 (150 ks). The main goal of these observations was to investigate the Comptonization mechanisms acting in the innermost regions of an active galactic nucleus (AGN) which are believed to be responsible for the UV/X-ray emission. The spectroscopic analysis of the NuSTAR spectra of these two sources revealed that although they had different properties overall (black hole masses, luminosity and Eddington ratios), they had very similar coronal properties. Both presented a power-law spectrum with a high-energy cut-off at ~150-200 keV, a relativistically broadened Fe K alpha line and the associated disc reflection component, plus a narrow iron line likely emitted in Compton thin and distant matter. The intrinsic continuum was well described by Comptonization models that show for MCG 8-11-11 a temperature of the coronal plasma of kTe ~ 60 keV and an extrapolated optical depth tau = 1.8; for NGC 6814, the coronal temperature was kTe ~ 45 keV with an extrapolated optical depth of tau = 2.5. We compare and discuss these values to some most common Comptonization models that aim at explaining the energy production and stability of coronae in AGNs.

Publication Date

  • 2018

Authors