A theoretical study of the time-lags due to Comptonization and the constraints on the X-ray corona in AGN [HEAP]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.02734


We study the Fourier time-lags due to the Comptonization of disc-emitted photons in a spherical, uniform, and stationary X-ray corona, which located on the rotational axis of the black hole. We use Monk, a general relativistic Monte-Carlo radiative transfer code, to calculate Compton scattering of photons emitted by a thin disc with a Novikov-Thorne temperature profile. We find that the model time-lags due to Comptonization remain constant up to a characteristic frequency and then rapidly decrease to zero at higher frequencies. We provide equations which can be used to determine the time-lags and cross spectra for a wide range of values for the corona radius, temperature, optical depth, height, and for various accretion rates and black hole masses. We also provide an equation for the X-ray luminosity of a single corona, as a function of the its characteristics and location above the disc. Remarkably, the observed X-ray time-lags of nearby, bright active galaxies can be successfully reproduced by inverse Comptonization process of multiple dynamic coronae.

Read this paper on arXiv…

W. Zhang, I. Papadakis, M. Dovčiak, et. al.
Wed, 7 Dec 22
41/74

Comments: 16 pages, 17 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS