X-ray emission mechanisms of liners

Author(s)
Stefanie Komossa, Dieter Breitschwerdt, Hans Böhringer, J Meerschweinchen
Abstract

We present here an analysis of the X-ray properties of a sample of LINER galaxies observed with the ROSAT PSPC and HRI instruments. A spatial analysis shows that the bulk of the X-ray emission is consistent with arising from a point source; some extended emission appears at weak emission levels. The X-ray spectra are formally best described by a powerlaw with photon index GX ˜ -2 or thermal emission from a Raymond-Smith plasma with highly subsolar abundances (Z = 0.1). Several emission mechanisms that might contribute to the observed X-ray spectra are discussed. In particular, we take the very subsolar abundances derived from Raymond-Smith fits as an indication of a more complex emission mechanism, like the presence of a second hard component or plasma out of equilibrium.

Organisation(s)
Department of Astrophysics
External organisation(s)
Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
Journal
Astrophysics and Space Science
Volume
272
Pages
295-298
No. of pages
4
ISSN
0004-640X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1002617101356
Publication date
2000
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103003 Astronomy
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/xray-emission-mechanisms-of-liners(0598d459-5afa-4773-90ac-f3f8cc144082).html