Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2005-09-02
Astrophys.J.637:682-692,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
39 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
Scientific paper
10.1086/497907
Before the official first-light images, the Chandra X-Ray Observatory obtained an X-ray image of the field to which its focal plane was first exposed. We describe this historic observation and report our study of the first Chandra field. Chandra's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) detected 15 X-ray sources, the brightest being dubbed ``Leon X-1'' to honor the Chandra Telescope Scientist, Leon Van Speybroeck. Based upon our analysis of the X-ray data and spectroscopy at the European Southern Observatory (ESO; La Silla, Chile), we find that Leon X-1 is a Type-1 (unobscured) active galactic nucleus (AGN) at a redshift z=0.3207. Leon X-1 exhibits strong Fe II emission and a broad-line Balmer decrement that is unusually flat for an AGN. Within the context of the Eigenvector-1 correlation space, these properties suggest that Leon X-1 may be a massive (> 10**{9} solar mass) black hole, accreting at a rate approaching its Eddington limit.
Aldcroft Thomas L.
Cameron Robert A.
Elsner Ronald F.
Foellmi Cédric
Gandhi Poshak
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