An Unveiling Event in the Type 2 AGN NGC4388: A Challenge for a Parsec Scale Absorber

Details An Unveiling Event in the Type 2 AGN NGC4388: A Challenge for a Parsec Scale Absorber An Unveiling Event in the Type 2 AGN NGC4388: A Challenge for a Parsec Scale Absorber

2004-07-14

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0407291v2

Astrophys.J. 615 (2004) L25-L28

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

5 pages, 3 figures. ApJLetters, in press. Author list corrected

Scientific paper

10.1086/424380

We present two Rossi Xray Timing Explorer (RXTE) PCA observations of the type~2 Seyfert galaxy NGC 4388 caught in an unusual low X-ray absorption state. The observations were triggered by a detection in the 1.5-3 keV band of the RXTE All-Sky Monitor. NGC 4388 was found at a somewhat high continuum level (f(2-10 keV)=8x10(-11)erg cm(-2) s(-1)) and with a column density (N_H~3x10(22)cm(-2)), a factor ~10 lower than normal. The second PCA observation, four hours later, gave N_H<2x10(21)cm(-2) indicating, at the 3.1 sigma level, variability so rapid puts the absorber on a few 100 Schwartzschild radii scale, similar to the Broad Emission Line Region, or smaller. This small scale creates difficulties for the parsec-scale obscuring torus paradigm of Unified Schemes for type 1 and type 2 AGNs.

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