For more than 30 years, it has been assumed that a pc-scale torus produces aconstant Compton-reflection component in heavily obscured AGN. We recentlyfinished the 157-month Swift BAT processing and found to our surprise thatnearly all of the brightest CT AGN are variable. We propose a variability studyof 10 CT AGN with significant variability detected in multi-epoch NuSTARobservations at 2-10 keV, where a significant reflection component was detected,but none or only one high S/N soft X-ray observation exists so the observationsare poorly constrained. This is a time critical opportunity to take advantage ofa recent large set of legacy NuSTAR observations from this summer to studyshorter virgul1 year-long variability periods in CT AGN.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2021-06-17T17:19:17Z/2022-03-28T18:35:19Z
Version
19.17_20220121_1250
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 Michael Koss, 2023, 'Mirror comma Mirror comma on the Wall\: Constraining Reflection in Compton-Thick AGN', 19.17_20220121_1250, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.57780/esa-wim5ojd
