MONTE-CARLO SIMULATIONS OF X-RAY-SPECTRA FOR INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED SPHERICAL MATTER DISTRIBUTIONS

Continuum X-ray emission and fluorescent iron-line emission has been observed from a number of galactic X-ray binaries and from active galactic nuclei. The iron lines and also some features of the continuum result from reprocessing of the continuum radiation of a central source by surrounding matter. Here we calculate by Monte Carlo methods the continuum and line features caused by reprocessing in cold matter of spherical geometry surrounding an X-ray source. The shape of the fluorescent Fe line is useful as a diagnostic of the amount and distribution of the reprocessing matter.