Study of the Long-Term X-Ray Variability of a Possible Quasar RX J0957.9+6903 with ASCA

Abstract

Long-term variability and spectral properties of a possible quasar, RX J0957.9+6903, were studied, utilizing 16 ASCA observations spanning 5.5 years. The average 0.7--10 keV spectrum of RX J0957.9+6903 is well represented by a power-law continuum of photon index 1.58 $\pm$ 0.03, and an absorption column of $\sim$ 1$\times{\rm 10}^{21}$ ${\rm cm}^{-2}$. The 2--10 keV flux of RX J0957.9+6903 varied by a factor of four over the period of six years, around a mean of $\sim$ 8.8$\times {\rm 10}^{-12}$ erg ${\rm s}^{-1}$ ${\rm cm}^{-2}$. Peak to peak variability within each observation was less than 25% on $\sim$ 1 day time scale. These properties support the classification of RX J0957.9+6903 as a quasar. The power spectrum density (PSD) was estimated in a "forward" manner, over a frequency range of $10^{-8.2}$--$10^{-4.3}$ Hz, by utilizing the structure function method and Monte-Carlo simulation assuming a broken power-law type PSD. Then, the break frequency $f_{\rm b}$ of the PSD of RX J0957.9+6903 has been constrained as 1/$f_{\rm b}$ = $1600^{+\infty}_{-1100}$ days, and the logarithmic slope of the high-frequency region of the PSD as $\alpha$ = $-$1.55 $\pm$ 0.2. A comparison of the estimated PSDs is made between RX J0957.9+6903 and the M81 nucleus, observed in the same field of view.