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Issue A&A
Volume 365, Number 1, January I 2001
First Results from XMM-Newton
Page(s) L122 - L127
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20000215



A&A 365, L122-L127 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20000215

XMM-Newton detection of a Comptonized accretion disc in the quasar PKS 0558-504

P. T. O'Brien1, J. N. Reeves1, M. J. L. Turner1, K. A. Pounds1, M. Page2, M. Gliozzi3, W. Brinkmann3, J. B. Stephen4 and M. Dadina4.

1  X-Ray Astronomy Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
2  MSSL, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, UK
3  Max-Plank-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1312, 85741, Garching, Germany
4  Istituto TESRE, CNR, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy

(Received 27 September 2000 / Accepted 19 October 2000)

Abstract
We present XMM-Newton observations of the bright quasar PKS 0558-504. The 0.2-10 keV spectrum is dominated by a large, variable soft X-ray excess. The fastest flux variations imply accretion onto a Kerr black hole. The XMM-Newton data suggest the presence of a "big blue bump"in PKS 0558-504 extending from the optical band to $\sim$3 keV. The soft X-ray spectrum shows no evidence for significant absorption or emission-line features. The most likely explanation for the hot big blue bump is Comptonization by the multi-temperature corona of a thermal accretion disc running at a high accretion rate.


Key words: galaxies: active - X-rays: galaxies - accretion discs - quasars: individual: PKS 0558-504

Offprint request: P. T. O'Brien, pto@star.le.ac.uk

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© ESO 2001


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