BeppoSAX spectroscopy of MR 2251-178: A test for ionized reflection in radio quiet QSOs

¹ Astrophysics Division, Space Science Department of ESA, ESTEC, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk, The Netherlands
² Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik Tübingen, Waldhäuser Str. 64, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
³ XMM SOC, VILSPA, Villafranca del Castillo, Spain
⁴ Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA

Corresponding author: A. Orr, aorr@astro.estec.esa.nl

Received: 20 March 2000
Accepted: 9 July 2001

Abstract

We present the 0.1-200 keV BeppoSAX spectrum of MR 2251-178 observed at two epochs in 1998 separated by 5 months. Both epochs show identical spectral shape and X-ray flux. Analysis of the combined spectra allow us to confirm the presence of the ionized Fe Kα line detected by ASCA and to test the presence of reflection from ionized material. The best self-consistent spectral fit is obtained when including a contribution from a mildly ionized reflector ( erg cm s^-1, i.e. ) with a reflection fraction . An exponential cut-off to the direct power-law continuum is then required at keV. The low energy spectrum is absorbed by ionized matter with a column density cm^-2 and an X-ray ionization parameter . The warm absorber column is slightly lower than that measured with ASCA. This change could be caused by bulk motion. The BeppoSAX absorber ionization parameter globally agrees with the "U versus Flux" correlation found for MR 2251-178 with EXOSAT, Ginga and ASCA. This suggests that the absorber is in a state of instantaneous ionization equilibrium.