Scaling of X-ray spectral properties of a black hole in the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC7469

Abstract

We present our analysis of X-ray spectral properties observed from the Seyfert 1 galactic nucleus NGC 7469 using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics mission (ASCA) observations. We demonstrate strong observational evidence that NGC 7469 undergoes spectral transitions from the low hard state (LHS) to the intermediate state (IS) during these observations. The RXTE observations (1996–2009) show that the source was in the IS ∼75% of the time only ∼25% of the time in the LHS. The spectra of NGC 7469 are well fitted by the so-called bulk motion Comptonization (BMC) model for all spectral states. We have established the photon index (Γ) saturation level, Γsat = 2.1 ± 0.1, in the Γ versus mass accretion rate, Ṁ correlation. This Γ – Ṁ correlation allows us to estimate the black hole (BH) mass in NGC 7469 to be MBH ≥ 3 × 106 M⊙ assuming the distance to NGC 7469 of 70 Mpc. For this BH mass estimate, we use the scaling method taking Galactic BHs, GRO J1655–40, Cyg X–1, and an extragalactic BH source, NGC 4051 as reference sources. The Γ versus Ṁ correlation revealed in NGC 7469 is similar to those in a number of Galactic and extragalactic BHs and it clearly shows the correlation along with the strong Γ saturation at ≈2.1. This is robust observational evidence for the presence of a BH in NGC 7469. We also find that the seed (disk) photon temperatures are quite low, of the order of 140–200 eV, which are consistent with a high BH mass in NGC 7469 that is more than 3 × 106 solar masses.