XRISM Reveals a Remnant Torus in the Low-Luminosity AGN M81*

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Miller, Jon M., Behar, Ehud, Awaki, Hisamitsu, Hornschemeier, Ann, Bluem, Jesse, Gallo, Luigi, Kobayashi, Shogo B., Mushotzky, Richard, Ohno, Masanori, Petre, Robert, Sato, Kosuke, Terashima, Yuichi, Yukita, Mihoko
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Miller, Jon M.
Behar, Ehud
Awaki, Hisamitsu
Hornschemeier, Ann
Bluem, Jesse
Gallo, Luigi
Kobayashi, Shogo B.
Mushotzky, Richard
Ohno, Masanori
Petre, Robert
Sato, Kosuke
Terashima, Yuichi
Yukita, Mihoko
author_facet Miller, Jon M.
Behar, Ehud
Awaki, Hisamitsu
Hornschemeier, Ann
Bluem, Jesse
Gallo, Luigi
Kobayashi, Shogo B.
Mushotzky, Richard
Ohno, Masanori
Petre, Robert
Sato, Kosuke
Terashima, Yuichi
Yukita, Mihoko
contents Up to 40% of galaxies in the local universe host a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN), making it vital to understand this mode of black hole accretion. However, the presence or absence of Seyfert-like geometries - an accretion disk close to the black hole, an optical broad line region (BLR), and a molecular torus - remains uncertain owing to the low flux levels of sources within this class. Herein, we present an analysis of a XRISM/Resolve spectrum of M81*, the LLAGN in the heart of the nearby spiral galaxy M81. A weak, neutral Fe K emission line is detected and resolved into K$_{α,1}$ and K$_{α,2}$ components. It shows a negligible velocity shift, and weak broadening (FWHM$=460^{+260}_{-160}~{\rm km}~{\rm s}^{-1}$) that corresponds to an inner emission radius of ${\rm r} \geq 2.7\times 10^{4}~GM/c^{2}$ for likely inclinations. The Fe K$_α$ line likely traces a torus. The upper limit on additional splitting of the Fe K$_α$ line components translates to a limit on the local magnetic field of ${\rm B} \leq 3.5\times 10^{8}$ Gauss, assuming Zeeman splitting. The spectra also reveal ionized plasma(s) through He-like Fe XXV and H-like Fe XXVI emission lines. These can be fit equally well assuming photoionization and collisional excitation. The H-like Fe XXVI line is better described when a second component is included with a red-shift of ${\rm v} = 1600~{\rm km}~{\rm s}^{-1}$, but this addition is of marginal statistical significance. We discuss these results in the context of radiatively inefficient accretion flow models, magnetically arrested disks, and possible links to the Fermi bubbles in the Milky Way.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_13730
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle XRISM Reveals a Remnant Torus in the Low-Luminosity AGN M81*
Miller, Jon M.
Behar, Ehud
Awaki, Hisamitsu
Hornschemeier, Ann
Bluem, Jesse
Gallo, Luigi
Kobayashi, Shogo B.
Mushotzky, Richard
Ohno, Masanori
Petre, Robert
Sato, Kosuke
Terashima, Yuichi
Yukita, Mihoko
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Up to 40% of galaxies in the local universe host a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus (LLAGN), making it vital to understand this mode of black hole accretion. However, the presence or absence of Seyfert-like geometries - an accretion disk close to the black hole, an optical broad line region (BLR), and a molecular torus - remains uncertain owing to the low flux levels of sources within this class. Herein, we present an analysis of a XRISM/Resolve spectrum of M81*, the LLAGN in the heart of the nearby spiral galaxy M81. A weak, neutral Fe K emission line is detected and resolved into K$_{α,1}$ and K$_{α,2}$ components. It shows a negligible velocity shift, and weak broadening (FWHM$=460^{+260}_{-160}~{\rm km}~{\rm s}^{-1}$) that corresponds to an inner emission radius of ${\rm r} \geq 2.7\times 10^{4}~GM/c^{2}$ for likely inclinations. The Fe K$_α$ line likely traces a torus. The upper limit on additional splitting of the Fe K$_α$ line components translates to a limit on the local magnetic field of ${\rm B} \leq 3.5\times 10^{8}$ Gauss, assuming Zeeman splitting. The spectra also reveal ionized plasma(s) through He-like Fe XXV and H-like Fe XXVI emission lines. These can be fit equally well assuming photoionization and collisional excitation. The H-like Fe XXVI line is better described when a second component is included with a red-shift of ${\rm v} = 1600~{\rm km}~{\rm s}^{-1}$, but this addition is of marginal statistical significance. We discuss these results in the context of radiatively inefficient accretion flow models, magnetically arrested disks, and possible links to the Fermi bubbles in the Milky Way.
title XRISM Reveals a Remnant Torus in the Low-Luminosity AGN M81*
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.13730