Abstract
NGC 7582 is a well-studied X-ray bright Seyfert 2 with moderately heavy (NH ∼ 10231024 cm?2), highly variable absorption and strong reflection spectral features. The spectral shape changed around the year 2000, dropping in observed flux and becoming much more highly absorbed. Two scenarios have beenut forth to explain this spectral change: (1) the central X-ray sourceartially "shut off" around this time, decreasing in intrinsic luminosity, with a delayed decrease in reflection features due to the light-crossing time of the Compton-thick material or (2) the source became more heavily obscured, with only aortion of theower law continuum leaking through. NuSTAR observed NGC 7582 twice in 2012, two weeks apart, in order to quantify the reflection using high-quality data above 10 keV. We find that the mostlausible scenario is that NGC 7582 has recently become more heavily absorbed by aatchy torus with a covering fraction of ∼80%90% and an equatorial column density of ∼3 ×1024 cm?2. We find the need for an additional highly variable full-covering absorber with NH = (46)×××1023 cm?2 in the line of sight,ossibly associated with a hidden broad line region.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | 55 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 815 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 10 2015 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science