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Nustar Reveals an Intrinsically X-ray Weak Broad Absorption Line Quasar in the Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Markarian 231We present high-energy (3-30 keV) NuSTAR observations of the nearest quasar, the ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) Markarian 231 (Mrk 231), supplemented with new and simultaneous low-energy (0.5-8 keV) data from Chandra. The source was detected, though at much fainter levels than previously reported, likely due to contamination in the large apertures of previous non-focusing hard X-ray telescopes. The full band (0.5-30 keV) X-ray spectrum suggests the active galactic nucleus (AGN) in Mrk 231 is absorbed by a patchy and Compton-thin N(sub H) approx. 1.2(sup +0.3) sub-0.3) x 10(exp 23) / sq cm) column. The intrinsic X-ray luminosity L(sub 0.5-30 Kev) approx. 1.0 x 10(exp 43) erg /s) is extremely weak relative to the bolometric luminosity where the 2-10 keV to bolometric luminosity ratio is approx. 0.03% compared to the typical values of 2-15%. Additionally, Mrk 231 has a low X-ray-to-optical power law slope alpha(sub 0X) approx. -1.7. It is a local example of a low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) quasar that is intrinsically X-ray weak. The weak ionizing continuum may explain the lack of mid-infrared [O IV], [Ne V], and [Ne VI] fine-structure emission lines which are present in sources with otherwise similar AGN properties. We argue that the intrinsic X-ray weakness may be a result of the super-Eddington accretion occurring in the nucleus of this ULIRG, and may also be naturally related to the powerful wind event seen in Mrk 231, a merger remnant escaping from its dusty cocoon.
Document ID
20140005420
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Teng, Stacy H. (Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Inc. TN, United States)
Brandt. W. N. (Pennsylvania State Univ. University Park, PA, United States)
Harrison, F. A. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Luo, B. (Pennsylvania State Univ. University Park, PA, United States)
Alexander, D. M. (Durham Univ. United Kingdom)
Bauer, F. E. (Pontificia Univ. Catolica de Chile Santiago, Chile)
Boggs, S. E. (California Univ. Berkeley, CA, United States)
Christensen, F. E. (Technical Univ. of Denmark Lyngby, Denmark)
Comastri, A. (Osservatorio Astronomico Bologna, Italy)
Craig, W. W. (Lawrence Livermore National Lab. Livermore, CA, United States)
Fabian, A. C. (Institute of Astronomy Cambridge, United Kingdom)
Farrah, D. (Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ. Blacksburg, VA, United States)
Fiore, F. (Osservatorio Astronomico Rome, Italy)
Gandhi, P. (Durham Univ. United Kingdom)
Grefenstette, B. W. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Hailey, C. J. (Columbia Univ. New York, NY, United States)
Hickox, R. C. (Dartmouth Coll. Hanover, NH, United States)
Madsen, K. K. (California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ptak, A. F. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Rigby, Jane Rebecca (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD United States)
Risaliti, G. (Osservatorio Astrofisico Arcetri Florence, Italy)
Saz, C. (Pontificia Univ. Catolica de Chile Santiago, Chile)
Stern, D. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Veilleux, S. (Maryland Univ. College Park, MD, United States)
Walton, D. J. (Durham Univ. United Kingdom)
Wik, D. R. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Zhang, W. W. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
May 9, 2014
Publication Date
January 1, 2014
Publication Information
Publisher: The Astrophysical Journal
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
GSFC-E-DAA-TN13553
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: ST/J003697/1
CONTRACT_GRANT: FONDE-CYT-1101024
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNH06CC03B
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG08FD60C
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNX10AC99G
CONTRACT_GRANT: INAF I/037/12/0-011/13
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Keywords
Reveals
Nustar
Intrinsically

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