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Sensitive Chandra coverage of a representative sample of weak-line quasars: revealing the full range of X-ray properties

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We present deeper Chandra observations for weak-line quasars (WLQs) in a representative sample that previously had limited X-ray constraints, and perform X-ray photometric analyses to reveal the full range of… Click to show full abstract

We present deeper Chandra observations for weak-line quasars (WLQs) in a representative sample that previously had limited X-ray constraints, and perform X-ray photometric analyses to reveal the full range of X-ray properties of WLQs. Only 5 of the 32 WLQs included in this representative sample remain X-ray undetected after these observations, and a stacking analysis shows that these 5 have an average X-ray weakness factor of >85. One of the WLQs in the sample that was known to have extreme X-ray variability, SDSS J1539+3954, exhibited dramatic X-ray variability again: it changed from an X-ray normal state to an X-ray weak state within ≈ 3 months in the rest frame. This short timescale for an X-ray flux variation by a factor of ≳ 9 further supports the thick disk and outflow (TDO) model proposed to explain the X-ray and multiwavelength properties of WLQs. The overall distribution of the X-ray-to-optical properties of WLQs suggests that the TDO has an average covering factor of the X-ray emitting region of ∼ 0.5, and the column density of the TDO can range from NH ∼ 1023 − 24 cm−2 to NH ≳ 1024 cm−2, which leads to different levels of absorption and Compton reflection (and/or scattering) among WLQs.

Keywords: sample; weak line; representative sample; ray; line quasars; range

Journal Title: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Year Published: 2022

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