OSSE Observations of Active Galaxies and Quasars
Abstract
We present a summary of OSSE observations of galaxies and quasars that have been carried out during the Phase 1 all-sky survey by the Compton Observatory. The OSSE instrument has detected continuum emission from several Seyfert galaxies and quasars. Seyfert 1 galaxies make up the majority of the detections, typically at energies below 300 keV, with the measured spectra generally compatible with power-law continuum models with photon spectral indices around -2, or with thermal emission models with temperatures around 50 keV. The quasars generally have harder spectral indices than the Seyfert galaxies. With the exception of Centaurus A and NGC 4151, there is little evidence of signicant flux variability in the OSSE data sets for most of the Seyfert galaxies observed. In some cases, the OSSE detections are at flux levels significantly below those reported for previous observations. While the analysis of the complete set of Phase 1 OSSE observations of active galaxies is still in progress, the OSSE data will clearly provide a major new database for the examination and testing of models of high-energy emission from active galactic nuclei.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA461936
Entities
People
- J. Eric Grove
- James D. Kurfess
- R. A. Cameron
- W. Neil Johnson
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory