X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes
A simple model for the X-ray weakness of James Webb Space Telescope–selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is proposed under the assumption that the majority of these sources are fed at super-Eddington accretion rates. In these conditions, the hot inner corona above the geometrically thin...
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad90e1 |
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| author | Piero Madau Francesco Haardt |
| author_facet | Piero Madau Francesco Haardt |
| author_sort | Piero Madau |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A simple model for the X-ray weakness of James Webb Space Telescope–selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is proposed under the assumption that the majority of these sources are fed at super-Eddington accretion rates. In these conditions, the hot inner corona above the geometrically thin disk that is responsible for the emission of X-rays in “normal” AGNs will be embedded instead in a funnel-like reflection geometry. The coronal plasma will Compton upscatter optical/UV photons from the underlying thick disk as well as the surrounding funnel walls, and the high soft-photon energy density will cool down the plasma to temperatures in the range 30–40 keV. The resulting X-ray spectra are predicted to be extremely soft, with power-law photon indices Γ ≃ 2.8–4.0, making high- z super-Eddington AGNs largely undetectable by Chandra. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0239a2abc98c4f4482e93d567e7ac646 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-0239a2abc98c4f4482e93d567e7ac6462025-08-20T02:27:57ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052024-01-019762L2410.3847/2041-8213/ad90e1X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black HolesPiero Madau0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6336-3293Francesco Haardt1Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California , 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA; Dipartimento di Fisica “G. Occhialini,” Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca , Piazza della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano, ItalyDipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria , via Valleggio 11, I-22100 Como, Italy; INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera , Via E. Bianchi 46, I-23807 Merate, Italy; INFN , Sezione Milano-Bicocca, P.za della Scienza 3, I-20126 Milano, ItalyA simple model for the X-ray weakness of James Webb Space Telescope–selected broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is proposed under the assumption that the majority of these sources are fed at super-Eddington accretion rates. In these conditions, the hot inner corona above the geometrically thin disk that is responsible for the emission of X-rays in “normal” AGNs will be embedded instead in a funnel-like reflection geometry. The coronal plasma will Compton upscatter optical/UV photons from the underlying thick disk as well as the surrounding funnel walls, and the high soft-photon energy density will cool down the plasma to temperatures in the range 30–40 keV. The resulting X-ray spectra are predicted to be extremely soft, with power-law photon indices Γ ≃ 2.8–4.0, making high- z super-Eddington AGNs largely undetectable by Chandra.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad90e1AccretionJames Webb Space TelescopeActive galactic nucleiBlack holes |
| spellingShingle | Piero Madau Francesco Haardt X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes The Astrophysical Journal Letters Accretion James Webb Space Telescope Active galactic nuclei Black holes |
| title | X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes |
| title_full | X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes |
| title_fullStr | X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes |
| title_full_unstemmed | X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes |
| title_short | X-Ray Weak Active Galactic Nuclei from Super-Eddington Accretion onto Infant Black Holes |
| title_sort | x ray weak active galactic nuclei from super eddington accretion onto infant black holes |
| topic | Accretion James Webb Space Telescope Active galactic nuclei Black holes |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad90e1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pieromadau xrayweakactivegalacticnucleifromsupereddingtonaccretionontoinfantblackholes AT francescohaardt xrayweakactivegalacticnucleifromsupereddingtonaccretionontoinfantblackholes |