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Article: Mapping the circumnuclear regions of the Circinus galaxy with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer

TitleMapping the circumnuclear regions of the Circinus galaxy with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer
Authors
Issue Date1-Feb-2023
PublisherRoyal Astronomical Society
Citation
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2023, v. 519, n. 1, p. 50-58 How to Cite?
Abstract

We report on the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) observation of the closest and X-ray brightest Compton-thick active galactic nucleus (AGN), the Circinus galaxy. We find the source to be significantly polarized in the 2–6 keV band. From previous studies, the X-ray spectrum is known to be dominated by reflection components, both neutral (torus) and ionized (ionization cones). Our analysis indicates that the polarization degree is 28 ± 7 per cent (at 68 per cent confidence level) for the neutral reflector, with a polarization angle of 18° ± 5°, roughly perpendicular to the radio jet. The polarization of the ionized reflection is unconstrained. A comparison with Monte Carlo simulations of the polarization expected from the torus shows that the neutral reflector is consistent with being an equatorial torus with a half-opening angle of 45°–55°. This is the first X-ray polarization detection in a Seyfert galaxy, demonstrating the power of X-ray polarimetry in probing the geometry of the circumnuclear regions of AGNs, and confirming the basic predictions of standard Unification Models.


Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/328412
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 4.7
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 1.621
ISI Accession Number ID

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorUrsini, F-
dc.contributor.authorMarinucci, A-
dc.contributor.authorMatt, G-
dc.contributor.authorBianchi, S-
dc.contributor.authorMarin, F-
dc.contributor.authorMarshall, HL-
dc.contributor.authorMiddei, R-
dc.contributor.authorPoutanen, J-
dc.contributor.authorRogantini, D-
dc.contributor.authorDe Rosa, A-
dc.contributor.authorDi Gesu, L-
dc.contributor.authorGarcia, JA-
dc.contributor.authorIngram, A-
dc.contributor.authorKim, DE-
dc.contributor.authorKrawczynski, H-
dc.contributor.authorPuccetti, S-
dc.contributor.authorSoffitta, P-
dc.contributor.authorSvoboda, J-
dc.contributor.authorTombesi, F-
dc.contributor.authorWeisskopf, MC-
dc.contributor.authorBarnouin, T-
dc.contributor.authorPerri, M-
dc.contributor.authorPodgorny, J-
dc.contributor.authorRatheesh, A-
dc.contributor.authorZaino, A-
dc.contributor.authorAgudo, I-
dc.contributor.authorAntonelli, LA-
dc.contributor.authorBachetti, M-
dc.contributor.authorBaldini, L-
dc.contributor.authorBaumgartner, WH-
dc.contributor.authorBellazzini, R-
dc.contributor.authorBongiorno, SD-
dc.contributor.authorBonino, R-
dc.contributor.authorBrez, A-
dc.contributor.authorBucciantini, N-
dc.contributor.authorCapitanio, F-
dc.contributor.authorCastellano, S-
dc.contributor.authorCavazzuti, E-
dc.contributor.authorCiprini, S-
dc.contributor.authorCosta, E-
dc.contributor.authorDel Monte, E-
dc.contributor.authorDi Lalla, N-
dc.contributor.authorDi Marco, A-
dc.contributor.authorDonnarumma, I-
dc.contributor.authorDoroshenko, V-
dc.contributor.authorDovciak, M-
dc.contributor.authorEhlert, SR-
dc.contributor.authorEnoto, T-
dc.contributor.authorEvangelista, Y-
dc.contributor.authorFabiani, S-
dc.contributor.authorFerrazzoli, R-
dc.contributor.authorGunji, S-
dc.contributor.authorHeyl, J-
dc.contributor.authorIwakiri, W-
dc.contributor.authorJorstad, SG-
dc.contributor.authorKaras, V-
dc.contributor.authorKitaguchi, T-
dc.contributor.authorKolodziejczak, JJ-
dc.contributor.authorLa Monaca, F-
dc.contributor.authorLatronico, L-
dc.contributor.authorLiodakis, I-
dc.contributor.authorMaldera, S-
dc.contributor.authorManfreda, A-
dc.contributor.authorMarscher, AP-
dc.contributor.authorMitsuishi, I-
dc.contributor.authorMizuno, T-
dc.contributor.authorMuleri, F-
dc.contributor.authorNg, CY-
dc.contributor.authorO'Dell, SL-
dc.contributor.authorOmodei, N-
dc.contributor.authorOppedisano, C-
dc.contributor.authorPapitto, A-
dc.contributor.authorPavlov, GG-
dc.contributor.authorPeirson, AL-
dc.contributor.authorPesce-Rollins, M-
dc.contributor.authorPetrucci, PO-
dc.contributor.authorPilia, M-
dc.contributor.authorPossenti, A-
dc.contributor.authorRamsey, BD-
dc.contributor.authorRankin, J-
dc.contributor.authorRo-
dc.date.accessioned2023-06-28T04:44:38Z-
dc.date.available2023-06-28T04:44:38Z-
dc.date.issued2023-02-01-
dc.identifier.citationMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2023, v. 519, n. 1, p. 50-58-
dc.identifier.issn0035-8711-
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/328412-
dc.description.abstract<p> We report on the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (<em>IXPE</em>) observation of the closest and X-ray brightest Compton-thick active galactic nucleus (AGN), the Circinus galaxy. We find the source to be significantly polarized in the 2–6 keV band. From previous studies, the X-ray spectrum is known to be dominated by reflection components, both neutral (torus) and ionized (ionization cones). Our analysis indicates that the polarization degree is 28 ± 7 per cent (at 68 per cent confidence level) for the neutral reflector, with a polarization angle of 18° ± 5°, roughly perpendicular to the radio jet. The polarization of the ionized reflection is unconstrained. A comparison with Monte Carlo simulations of the polarization expected from the torus shows that the neutral reflector is consistent with being an equatorial torus with a half-opening angle of 45°–55°. This is the first X-ray polarization detection in a Seyfert galaxy, demonstrating the power of X-ray polarimetry in probing the geometry of the circumnuclear regions of AGNs, and confirming the basic predictions of standard Unification Models. <br></p>-
dc.languageeng-
dc.publisherRoyal Astronomical Society-
dc.relation.ispartofMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society-
dc.titleMapping the circumnuclear regions of the Circinus galaxy with the Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer-
dc.typeArticle-
dc.identifier.doi10.1093/mnras/stac3189-
dc.identifier.hkuros344599-
dc.identifier.volume519-
dc.identifier.issue1-
dc.identifier.spage50-
dc.identifier.epage58-
dc.identifier.eissn1365-2966-
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000920876000004-
dc.identifier.issnl0035-8711-

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