The active nucleus of the ULIRG IRAS F00183-7111 viewed by NuSTAR

TL;DR

This study uses multi-mission X-ray observations to analyze the active nucleus of ULIRG IRAS F00183-7111, revealing complex absorption features, a declining Fe K line, and insights into the central engine's obscuration and accretion state.

Contribution

It provides a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of IRAS F00183-7111, highlighting the presence of high-ionization absorption and the potential for a near-Eddington accreting central black hole.

Findings

Fe K line flux has been declining from 2003 to 2016.

The nucleus exhibits a hard X-ray spectrum with high cold absorption.

No evidence of a Compton-thick source in NuSTAR data.

Abstract

We present an X-ray study of the ultra-luminous infrared galaxy IRAS F00183-7111 (z=0.327), using data obtained from NuSTAR, Chandra X-ray Observatory, Suzaku and XMM-Newton. The Chandra imaging shows that a point-like X-ray source is located at the nucleus of the galaxy at energies above 2 keV. However, the point source resolves into diffuse emission at lower energies, extending to the east, where the extranuclear [O III] emission, presumably induced by a galactic-scale outflow, is present. The nuclear source is detected by NuSTAR up to the rest-frame 30 keV. The strong, high-ionization Fe K line, first seen by XMM-Newton, and subsequently by Suzaku and Chandra, is not detected in the NuSTAR data. The line flux appears to have been declining continuously between 2003 and 2016, while the continuum emission remained stable to within 30%. The X-ray continuum below 10 keV is characterised by a hard spectrum caused by cold absorption of nH ~1e23 cm-2, compatible to that of the silicate absorption at 9.7 micron, and a broad absorption feature around 8 keV which we attribute to a high-ionization Fe K absorption edge. The latter is best described by a blueshifted, high-ionization (log xi ~3) absorber. No extra hard component, which would arise from a Compton-thick source, is seen in the NuSTAR data. While a pure reflection scenario (with a totally hidden central source) is viable, direct emission from the central source of L(2-10 keV) = 2e44 erg/s, behind layers of cold and hot absorbing gas may be an alternative explanation. In this case, the relative X-ray quietness (Lx/L_AGN ~6e-3), the high-ionization Fe line, strong outflows inferred from various observations, and other similarities to the well-studied ULIRG/QSO Mrk 231 point that the central source in this ULIRG might be accreting close to the Eddington limit.