Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 1999
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999stin...9964014e&link_type=abstract
Technical Report, astro-ph/9810481
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Black Holes (Astronomy), X Rays, Variability, Seyfert Galaxies, Luminosity, Cygnus Constellation, X Ray Timing Explorer, Slopes, Periodic Variations, Occultation, Interruption, Galaxies, Frequencies, Flattening
Scientific paper
During 1997 March-July, RXTE observed the bright, strongly variable Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 3516 once every approx. 12.8 hr for 4.5 months and nearly continuously (with interruptions due to SAA passage but not Earth occultation) for a 4.2 day period in the middle. These were followed by ongoing monitoring once every approx. 4.3 days. These data are used to construct the first well-determined X-ray fluctuation power density spectrum (PDS) of an active galaxy to span more than 4 decades of usable temporal frequency. The PDS shows no signs of any strict or quasi-periodicity, but does show a progressive flattening of the power-low slope from -1.74 at short time scales to -0.73 at longer time scales. This is the clearest observation to date of the long-predicted cutoff in the PDS. The characteristic variability time scale corresponding to this cutoff temporal frequency is approx. 1 month. Although it is unclear how this time scale may be interpreted in terms of a physical size or process, there are several promising candidate models. The PDS appears similar to those seen for Galactic black hole candidates such as Cyg X-1, suggesting that these two classes of objects with very different luminosities and putative black hole masses (differing by more than a factor of 105) may have similar X-ray generation processes and structures.
Edelson Rick
Nandra Kirpal
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