Feeding and Feedback in the Powerful Radio Galaxy 3C 120
Abstract
We present a spectral analysis of a 200 ks observation of the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 120, performed with the high-energy transmission grating spectrometer on board the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We find (I) a neutral absorption component intrinsic to the source with a column density of {log}{N}{{H}}=20.67+/- 0.05 cm-2 (II) no evidence for a warm absorber (WA) with an upper limit on the column density of just {log}{N}{{H}}< 19.7 cm-2, assuming the typical ionization parameter logξ ≃ 2.5 erg s-1 cm the WA may instead be replaced by (III) a hot emitting gas with a temperature kT ≃ 0.7 keV observed as soft X-ray emission from ionized Fe L-shell lines, which may originate from a kiloparsec-scale shocked bubble inflated by the active galactic nucleus (AGN) wind or jet with a shock velocity of about 1000 km s-1 determined by the emission line width; (IV) a neutral Fe Kα line and accompanying emission lines indicative of a Compton-thick cold reflector with a low reflection fraction R ≃ 0.2, suggesting a large opening angle of the torus; (v) a highly ionized Fe xxv emission feature indicative of photoionized gas with an ionization parameter logξ ={3.75}-0.38+0.27 erg s-1 cm and a column density of {log}{N}{{H}}> 22 cm-2 localized within ∼2 pc from the X-ray source; and (VI) possible signatures of a highly ionized disk wind. Together with previous evidence for intense molecular line emission, these results indicate that 3C 120 is likely a late-state merger undergoing strong AGN feedback.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 2017
- DOI:
- 10.3847/1538-4357/aa6342
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1703.00516
- Bibcode:
- 2017ApJ...838...16T
- Keywords:
-
- black hole physics;
- galaxies: active;
- line: identification;
- X-rays: galaxies;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in ApJ
