Title: INTEGRAL Observations of the Type I Seyfert Galaxies NGC 5548 and MCG-6-30-15


Proposal ID: 0120175
Subject category: Extragalactic Object
Principal investigator: Chiang
Institute:


Abstract

We propose for two observations of the type 1 Seyfert galaxies NGC 5548 (300ksec) and MCG-6-30-15 (200 ksec). The broad band spectral coverage and continuum sensitivity provided by INTEGRAL will allow us to test several aspects of Comptonization and thermal reprocessing models for this class of AGNs. We will perform correlated temporal and spectral analysis of the optical, X-ray, hard X-ray and soft gamma-ray bands. The focus of the observations will be the interplay between Comptonization processes which produce the higher energy emission and the role of thermal reprocessing in the accretion disk which has been posited to produce the highly correlated variable optical and UV emission. The spectral components we will measure using INTEGRAL include the thermal Comptonization spectral roll-over, the continuum spectral index, the Compton reflection strength, and the optical flux. In addition we will also be able to constrain the contribution of a possible non-thermal component by using soft gamma-ray spectral coverage provided by the IBIS and SPI instruments. The correlated variability of these various spectral components will be considered in the context of the thermal and non-thermal Comptonization model we have been developing.