The Phoenix galaxy as seen by NuSTAR
Journal
Date Issued
2017
Author(s)
Masini, A.
•
•
Puccetti, S.
•
Baloković, M.
•
Gandhi, P.
•
Guainazzi, M.
•
Bauer, F. E.
•
Boggs, S. E.
•
Boorman, P. G.
•
Brightman, M.
•
Christensen, F. E.
•
Craig, W. W.
•
Farrah, D.
•
Hailey, C. J.
•
Harrison, F. A.
•
Koss, M. J.
•
LaMassa, S. M.
•
Ricci, C.
•
Stern, D.
•
Walton, D. J.
•
Zhang, W. W.
Abstract
Aims: We study the long-term variability of the well-known Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1210 (also known as UGC 4203, or the Phoenix galaxy).
Methods: The source was observed by many X-ray facilities in the last 20 yr. Here we present a NuSTAR observation and put the results in the context of previously published observations.
Results: NuSTAR observed Mrk 1210 in 2012 for 15.4 ks. The source showed Compton-thin obscuration similar to that observed by Chandra, Suzaku, BeppoSAX and XMM-Newton over the past two decades, but different from the first observation by ASCA in 1995, in which the active nucleus was caught in a low flux state or was obscured by Compton-thick matter with a reflection-dominated spectrum. Thanks to the high-quality hard X-ray spectrum obtained with NuSTAR and exploiting the long-term spectral coverage spanning 16.9 yr, we can precisely disentangle the transmission and reflection components and put constraints on both the intrinsic long-term variability and hidden nucleus scenarios. In the former case, the distance between the reflector and the source must be at least 2 pc, while in the latter the eclipsing cloud may be identified with a water maser-emitting clump.
Aims: We study the long-term variability of the well-known Seyfert 2 galaxy Mrk 1210 (also known as UGC 4203, or the Phoenix galaxy).
Methods: The source was observed by many X-ray facilities in the last 20 yr. Here we present a NuSTAR observation and put the results in the context of previously published observations.
Results: NuSTAR observed Mrk 1210 in 2012 for 15.4 ks. The source showed Compton-thin obscuration similar to that observed by Chandra, Suzaku, BeppoSAX and XMM-Newton over the past two decades, but different from the first observation by ASCA in 1995, in which the active nucleus was caught in a low flux state or was obscured by Compton-thick matter with a reflection-dominated spectrum. Thanks to the high-quality hard X-ray spectrum obtained with NuSTAR and exploiting the long-term spectral coverage spanning 16.9 yr, we can precisely disentangle the transmission and reflection components and put constraints on both the intrinsic long-term variability and hidden nucleus scenarios. In the former case, the distance between the reflector and the source must be at least 2 pc, while in the latter the eclipsing cloud may be identified with a water maser-emitting clump.
Volume
597
Start page
A100
Issn Identifier
0004-6361
Ads BibCode
2017A&A...597A.100M
Rights
open.access
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