DAO: A New and Public Non-Relativistic Reflection Model

TL;DR

DAO is a new non-relativistic reflection model that accurately computes X-ray reflection spectra from accretion disks, integrating atomic processes and Compton scattering with flexible illumination conditions.

Contribution

The paper introduces DAO, a novel reflection model combining atomic physics and radiative transfer with improved scattering treatment, adaptable to various spectra.

Findings

Benchmarking shows DAO agrees with reflionx and xillver.

DAO accurately models Compton scattering effects.

The model's flexibility allows diverse physical applications.

Abstract

We present a new non-relativistic reflection model, DAO, designed to calculate reflection spectra in the rest frame of accretion disks in X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei. The model couples the XSTAR code, which treats atomic processes, with the Feautrier method for solving the radiative transfer equation. A key feature of DAO is the incorporation of a high-temperature corrected cross section and an exact redistribution function to accurately treat Compton scattering. Furthermore, the model accommodates arbitrary illuminating spectra, enabling applications across diverse physical conditions. We investigate the spectral dependence on key physical parameters and benchmark the results against the widely used reflionx and xillver codes.