Diagnosing the kinematics of the tori in active galactic nuclei with the velocity-resolved reverberation mapping of the narrow iron K$\alpha$ line

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that velocity-resolved reverberation mapping of the narrow iron Kα line using next-generation X-ray instruments can effectively diagnose the kinematic motions of the dusty torus in active galactic nuclei, aiding understanding of AGN feeding and feedback.

Contribution

The paper develops response functions for different torus kinematics and shows the feasibility of using future X-ray observations to distinguish these motions.

Findings

Five ks observations can differentiate inflow, rotation, and outflow.

Velocity-resolved reverberation mapping is feasible with upcoming X-ray technology.

The method enhances understanding of AGN torus dynamics.

Abstract

The properties of the dusty tori in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have been investigated in detail, mainly focusing on the geometry and components; however, the kinematics of the torus is still not clear. The narrow iron K$\alpha$ line at 6.4 keV is thought to be produced by the X-ray reflection from the torus. Thus, the velocity-resolved reverberation mapping of it is able to constrain the kinematics of the torus. Such effort is limited by the spectral resolution of current CCD detectors and should be possible with the microcalorimeter on the next generation X-ray satellite. In this paper, we first construct the response functions of the torus under a uniform inflow, a Keplerian rotation, and a uniform outflow. Then the energy-dependent light curve of the narrow iron K$\alpha$ line is simulated according to the performance of the X-ray Integral Field Unit in Athena. Finally, the energy-dependent cross-correlation function is calculated to reveal the kinematic signal. According to our results, one hundred observations with 5 ks exposure of each are sufficient to distinguish the above three velocity fields. Although the real geometry and velocity field of the torus could be more complex than we assumed, the present result proves the feasibility of the velocity-resolved reverberation mapping of the narrow iron K$\alpha$ line. The combination of the dynamics of the torus with those of the broad line region and the host galaxy is instructive for the understanding of the feeding and feedback process of AGNs.