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A periodicity of ∼1 hour in X-ray emission from the active galaxy RE J1034+396
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A periodicity of ∼1 hour in X-ray emission from the active galaxy RE J1034+396
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Journal Article
A periodicity of ∼1 hour in X-ray emission from the active galaxy RE J1034+396
2008
Overview
Active galactic nuclei: on the hour
Although active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are thought — like quasars — to be scaled-up versions of binary black holes, quasiperiodic oscillations have proved elusive in the supermassive black holes found in AGNs. This is surprising, since these oscillations are generally so well defined in black holes. That anomaly has now been straightened out with the observation of X-ray emissions with a periodicity of about 1 hour in the bright active galaxy RE J1034+396. The X-ray modulation arises from the direct vicinity of the black hole. The study of this and similar phenomena should reveal more about accretion flows around black holes.
Active galactic nuclei and quasars are thought to be scaled-up versions of Galactic black hole binaries, powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes with masses of 10
6
–10
9
, as opposed to the ∼10
in binaries (here
is the solar mass). One example of the similarities between these two types of systems is the characteristic rapid X-ray variability seen from the accretion flow
1
. The power spectrum of this variability in black hole binaries consists of a broad noise with multiple quasi-periodic oscillations superimposed on it. Although the broad noise component has been observed in many active galactic nuclei
2
,
3
, there have hitherto been no significant detections of quasi-periodic oscillations
4
,
5
,
6
. Here we report the discovery of an ∼1-hour X-ray periodicity in a bright active galaxy, RE J1034+396. The signal is highly statistically significant (at the 5.6
σ
level) and very coherent, with quality factor
Q
> 16. The X-ray modulation arises from the direct vicinity of the black hole.
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing,Nature Publishing Group
