First Constraints on Black Hole Spin in Broad Iron Line AGN

Details First Constraints on Black Hole Spin in Broad Iron Line AGN First Constraints on Black Hole Spin in Broad Iron Line AGN

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006aas...209.0702b&link_type=abstract

2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #07.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, V

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Black holes are arguably the simplest objects in nature, with an ability to be completely defined by two mathematical quantities: mass and spin. Spin, being a general relativistic effect, is the more difficult to discern of the two. One of the most promising and robust methods for constraining this quantity relies on modeling the relativistically altered shape of the iron-K line emitted from the accretion disk around the black hole. With this in mind, I have expanded upon previous emission line model codes to create a new relativistic emission line model, called kerrdisk, which allows the black hole spin to be fit as a free parameter. This allows us to robustly constrain the angular momentum of a black hole for the first time. Herein I present the results of spectral fitting of this model to several AGN with robustly observed broad iron lines in an effort to perform the very first statistically robust study of black hole spin distribution in these types of sources. This is a crucial first step toward taking a census of black hole spin in both AGN and GBHCs.
I gratefully acknowledge funding from NSF grant AST0205990, which has contributed to this research.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

First Constraints on Black Hole Spin in Broad Iron Line AGN does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with First Constraints on Black Hole Spin in Broad Iron Line AGN, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and First Constraints on Black Hole Spin in Broad Iron Line AGN will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1154750