To study the cosmic history of accretion onto black holes (BH), threemeasurements are crucial: BH mass, bolometric luminosity and radiativeefficiency. An ongoing SDSS reverberation mapping (RM) program provides for thefirst time significantly improved mass estimates for a large sample of QSOs toredshift 3 in a single field of 7 square degrees. With the XMM-Newtonobservations and existing X-ray data, we propose to measure with high accuracybolometric luminosity and Eddington ratio for about 170 of these RM QSOs. Wewill study their disk/corona systems by determining the shape of theoptical/UV/X-ray SED and the variability properties of the inner accretion flow,thus constraining the evolution of radiative efficiency, and, possibly, BH spin.
Instrument
RGS1, EPN, RGS2, EMOS1, OM, EMOS2
Temporal Coverage
2017-05-09T22:24:53Z/2017-12-03T23:19:41Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr Andrea Merloni, 2018, 'XMM-RM: Quasar Accretion Physics in the Reverberation-Mapping Field', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-r5rx221
