Milliarcsecond X-Ray Positions and X-Ray Varstrometry for the Strongly Lensed Active Galactic Nucleus HE 0435-1223
Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are some of the most powerful objects in the Universe. For this reason, they can be observed up to high redshifts ( z ), giving valuable insights into the evolution of our Universe. However, high- z AGN are too distant to be spatially resolved with current or upcoming X-...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/add71a |
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| Summary: | Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are some of the most powerful objects in the Universe. For this reason, they can be observed up to high redshifts ( z ), giving valuable insights into the evolution of our Universe. However, high- z AGN are too distant to be spatially resolved with current or upcoming X-ray facilities. In this paper, we show how we can exploit gravitationally lensed AGN to significantly increase spatial resolution even at high z . We combine astrometric data from Gaia DR3 with imaging from the Chandra X-ray Observatory of the quadruply lensed quasar HE 0435-1223 to measure for the first time possible offsets between the optical and the X-ray emissions. We measure the X-ray source position for HE 0435-1223 within a 1 σ quasi-elliptical region of 0.5 × 1.3 milliarcsecond (mas), about 150 pc ^2 at the redshift of the source ( z = 1.689). We find evidence for the X-ray emission being offset by a projected 3 mas from the Gaia (optical) emission. The positional offset is most likely associated with a portion of the X-ray emission arising from an X-ray jet or outflow. We also discuss how this method can be used to indicate the presence of a binary/offset AGN system. |
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| ISSN: | 1538-4357 |