Date of Award
8-2020
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Physics, Applied
First Advisor
Stephen Arnason
Second Advisor
Jonathan Celli
Third Advisor
Chandra Yelleswarapu
Abstract
We present a multi-epoch analysis of the X-ray spectrum of NGC 1052, a nearby galaxy notorious for its well-studied spectral variability. We utilize observations from NuSTAR, XMM-Newton, Chandra, Swift, Suzaku, BeppoSAX, and ASCA to create a comprehensive set of data that spans roughly 20 years. Organizing our data by observation date and grouping into specific epochs allows us to explore a model allowed to flex and accommodate any spectral changes that occur over time in the X-ray spectrum of NGC 1052. We find that the spectrum takes on a relatively flat nature and is best modeled with two neutral absorption components in addition to a component representing torus reprocessing. We are able to successfully constrain properties of the dense obscuring torus, reporting a high covering factor of ∼ 80%.
Recommended Citation
Cabral, Samantha E., "Modeling the Obscuring Features in Active Galactic Nuclei: an X-Ray Analysis of NGC 1052" (2020). Graduate Masters Theses. 630.
https://scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_theses/630