The Highest Resolution X-ray View of the Nuclear Region of NGC 4151

Junfeng Wang, Margarita Karovska, Martin Elvis, Guido Risaliti, A. Zezas, Carole Mundell

Research output: Chapter or section in a book/report/conference proceedingChapter in a published conference proceeding

Abstract

We report high resolution imaging of the nucleus of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 4151 obtained with a 50 ks Chandra HRC observation. The HRC image resolves the emission on spatial scales of 0.5 arcsec (30 pc), showing an extended X-ray morphology overall consistent with the narrow line region seen in optical line emission. Removal of the bright point-like nuclear source and image deconvolution technique both reveal X-ray enhancements that closely match the substructures seen in the HST [OIII] image and prominent knots in the radio jet. We find that most of the NLR clouds in NGC 4151 have [OIII] to soft X-ray ratio consistent with the values observed in NLRs of some Seyfert 2 galaxies, which indicates a uniform ionization parameter even at large radii and a density dependence ∝ r^{-2} as expected in the disk wind scenario. We examine various X-ray emission mechanisms of the radio jet and consider thermal emission from interaction between radio outflow and the NLR clouds the most probable origin for the X-ray emission associated with the jet.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationChandra's First Decade of Discovery
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the conference held 22-25 September, 2009 in Boston, MA
EditorsS. Wolk, A. Fruscione, D. Swartz
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2009

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