Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2004-04-23
Astron.Astrophys. 422 (2004) 97-102
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Scientific paper
10.1051/0004-6361:20040291
The Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 5548 was observed for a week by Chandra using both the HETGS and LETGS spectrometers. In this paper we study the time variability of the continuum radiation. During our observation, the source showed a gradual increase in flux over four days, followed by a rapid decrease and flattening of the light curve afterwards. Superimposed upon these relatively slow variations several short duration bursts or quasi-periodic oscillations occured with a typical duration of several hours and separation between 0.6-0.9 days. The bursts show a delay of the hard X-rays with respect to the soft X-rays of a few hours. We interprete these bursts as due to a rotating, fluctuating hot spot at approximately 10 gravitational radii; the time delay of the hard X-rays from the bursts agree with the canonical picture of Inverse Compton scattering of the soft accretion disk photons on a hot medium that is relatively close to the central black hole.
Arav Nahum
Crenshaw Michael D.
George Ian Michael
Kaastra Jelle S.
Kraemer Steven B.
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