Does the iron Kα line of active galactic nuclei arise from the Cerenkov line-like radiation?

被引:8
作者
You, JH [1 ]
Liu, DB
Chen, WP
Chen, L
Zhang, SN
机构
[1] Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Dept Phys, Inst Space & Astrophys, Shanghai 200030, Peoples R China
[2] Natl Cent Univ, Inst Astron, Chungli 32054, Taiwan
[3] Natl Cent Univ, Dept Phys, Chungli 32054, Taiwan
[4] Tsinghua Univ, Dept Phys, Ctr Astrophys, Beijing 100084, Peoples R China
[5] Univ Alabama, Dept Phys, Huntsville, AL 35899 USA
[6] Natl Space Sci & Technol Ctr, Huntsville, AL 35805 USA
关键词
galaxies : active; radiation mechanisms : nonthermal; X-rays : galaxies;
D O I
10.1086/379189
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
When thermal relativistic electrons with isotropic distribution of velocities move in a gas region or impinge upon the surface of a cloud that consists of a dense gas or doped dusts, the Cerenkov effect produces peculiar atomic or ionic emission lines, which is known as the Cerenkov line-like radiation. This newly recognized emission mechanism may find wide applications in high-energy astrophysics. In this paper we tentatively adopt this new line emission mechanism to discuss the origin of the iron Kalpha feature of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The motivation of this research is to attempt a solution to a problem encountered by the "disk fluorescence line "model, i.e., the lack of temporal response of the observed iron Kalpha line flux to the changes of the X-ray continuum flux. If the Cerenkov line emission is indeed responsible significantly for the iron Kalpha feature, the conventional scenario around the central supermassive black holes of AGNs would need to be modified to accommodate more energetic, more violent, and much denser environments than previously thought.
引用
收藏
页码:164 / 172
页数:9
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