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X-ray spectroscopy of the z=6.4 quasar J1148+5251

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(2017)cite arxiv:1702.07349Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, MNRAS in press.

Abstract

We present the 78-ks Chandra observations of the $z=6.4$ quasar SDSS J1148+5251. The source is clearly detected in the energy range 0.3-7 keV with 42 counts (with a significance $\gtrsim9\sigma$). The X-ray spectrum is best-fitted by a power-law with photon index $\Gamma=1.9$ absorbed by a gas column density of $N_H=2.0^+2.0_-1.5\times10^23\,cm^-2$. We measure an intrinsic luminosity at 2-10 keV and 10-40 keV equal to $\sim 1.510^45~erg~s^-1$, comparable with luminous local and intermediate-redshift quasar properties. Moreover, the X-ray to optical power-law slope value ($\alpha_OX=-1.760.14$) of J1148 is consistent with the one found in quasars with similar rest-frame 2500 \AA ~luminosity ($L_250010^32~erg~s^-1$\AA$^-1$). Then we use Chandra data to test a physically motivated model that computes the intrinsic X-ray flux emitted by a quasar starting from the properties of the powering black hole and assuming that X-ray emission is attenuated by intervening, metal-rich ($Z\geq Z_ødot$) molecular clouds distributed on $\sim$kpc scales in the host galaxy. Our analysis favors a black hole mass $M_BH 310^9 \rm M_ødot$ and a molecular hydrogen mass $M_H_2210^10 \rm M_ødot$, in good agreement with estimates obtained from previous studies. We finally discuss strengths and limits of our analysis.

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