High-Frequency Power Spectrum of AGN NGC 4051 Revealed by NICER

TL;DR

This study uses NICER's high temporal resolution to analyze the X-ray variability of AGN NGC 4051, constraining its power spectral density up to 0.1 Hz and revealing a constant temperature corona, providing new insights into black hole emission models.

Contribution

First detailed high-frequency PSD measurement of NGC 4051, constraining variability and corona properties across energies with NICER.

Findings

No high-frequency break or QPOs detected.

PSD normalization and slope are energy-independent.

Constraints on X-ray emission models for AGN.

Abstract

Variability studies offer a compelling glimpse into black hole dynamics, and NICER's (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) remarkable temporal resolution propels us even further. NICER observations of an Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN), NGC 4051, have charted the geometry of the emission region of the central supermassive black hole. Our investigation of X-ray variability in NGC 4051 has detected extreme variations spanning a factor of 40 to 50 over a mere 10 to 12 hours. For the first time, we have constrained the X-ray Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the source to 0.1 Hz, corresponding to a temporal frequency of 10,000 Hz in a galactic X-ray binary (GXRB) with a mass of 10 M_{\odot}. No extra high-frequency break/bend or any quasi-periodic oscillations are found. Through detailed analysis of energy-dependent PSDs, we found that the PSD normalization, the high-frequency PSD slope as well as the bending frequency remains consistent across all energies within the 0.3-3 keV band, revealing the presence of a constant temperature corona. These significant findings impose critical constraints on current models of X-ray emission and variability in AGN.