Iron Kα Emission Lines in Seyfert(-Like) Active Galactic Nuclei: Revelation of a Rapidly Spinning Central Black Hole

• 来源期刊: 中国物理快报（英文版）
• 学科: 物理学
• 年，卷（期）: 2002,（10）
• 页码范围: 1537-1539
• 页数: 3页
• 分类号: O4
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Fe Kα lines are superimposed upon the x-ray continuum in most Seyfert(-like) active galactic nuclei (AGNs).By a data-fitting study, previous authors have claimed that the central black hole (BH) is either rotating ornon-rotating according to the thin disc model. We develop the disc model to the torus model to determine thereal spin of the BH. With formulations of the motion of both torus particles and photons near a BH in Kerrmetric, we simulate iron emission linesfrom a thin luminous torus. It is found that only spinning BH galaxiescan radiate observable profiles. The data-fitting to Fe lines of four AGNs observed by ASCA predicts that thecentral BH is spinning rapidly with the dimensionless specific angular momentum approaching the maximalvalueof 1.