Probing Relativistic Astrophysics Around SMBHs: The Suzaku AGN Spin Survey

TL;DR

This paper discusses the Suzaku AGN Spin Survey, which aims to measure black hole spins in nearby active galactic nuclei using X-ray spectral analysis, providing insights into black hole evolution and relativistic effects.

Contribution

It presents new observational results on black hole spin measurements from the Suzaku AGN Spin Survey, demonstrating the feasibility of constraining spin in multiple AGN and discussing associated biases.

Findings

Successfully constrained spin in two AGN (NGC3783, a>0.9; Fairall 9, a=0.45±0.15)

Deep Suzaku datasets can robustly assess black hole spin

Warm absorber complexities can hinder spin measurement accuracy

Abstract

In addition to providing vital clues as to the formation and evolution of black holes, the spin of black holes may be an important energy source in the Universe. Over the past couple of years, tremendous progress has been made in the realm of observational measurements of spin. In particular, detailed characterization and modeling of X-ray spectral features emitted from the inner regions of black hole accretion disks have allowed us to probe the location of the innermost stable circular orbit and hence the spin. In this contribution, I will describe the Suzaku AGN Spin Survey, an on-going Cycle 4--6 Suzaku Key Project that aims to probe five nearby AGN with sufficient depth that strong gravity effects and spin can be robustly assessed. Of the three objects for which we currently have our deep datasets, we can constrain spin in two (NGC3783, a>0.9; Fairall 9, $a=0.45\pm 0.15$) whereas complexities with the warm absorber prevent us from reporting results for NGC3516. We conclude with a brief discussion of spin-dependent selection biases in flux-limited surveys.