A Broad Fe-Kalpha Emission Line in the X-Ray Spectrum of the Quasar 3C 273

Abstract

The Fe-K line, an important physical diagnostic in the X-ray spectra of AGN, has been notoriously difficult to measure in the high-luminosity, radio-loud quasar 3C 273 (z=0.158). On the few occasions that it has been detected its intrinsic width has been thought to be narrow (FWHM < 10,000 km/s) with an equivalent width (EW) of a few tens of eV.This was consistent with the general trend that as one goes from low to high luminosity AGNs the Fe-K line goes from being strong (EW ~200-300 eV) and broad (FWHM ~ 100,000 km/s) to being weak and narrow, or absent altogether. Here we present the results of new ASCA and RXTE observations, together with archival ASCA data, and show for the first time that the Fe-K line in 3C 273 is as broad as that seen in Seyfert 1. The line is resolved in two of the observations, with a mean Gaussian width of 0.8 +/- 0.3 keV, or FWHM of 0.3 +/- 0.1c. The smallest and largest EW measured is 43 +/- 34 eV, and 133 (+52,-53) eV respectively (quasar frame). The Compton-reflection continuum is less than 10% of that expected from a centrally illuminated semi-infinite, face-on, Compton-thick disk, confirming previous studies that Compton reflection is negligible in 3C 273. The largest values of the Fe-K line EW are under-predicted if the line originates in the disk, unless a time lag longer than several days between line and continuum and/or an over-abundance of Fe is invoked. We cannot unambiguously constrain the disk inclination angle. About 60 deg is preferred for a cold disk, while a face-on disk is allowed if the ionization state of Fe is H-like.