Long Term Spectral Variability of Seyfert Galaxies from RXTE Color-Flux Diagrams

Abstract

We present results from RXTE data obtained during a systematic monitoring program of four Seyfert galaxies (NGC5548, NGC5506, MCG-6-30-15 and NGC4051). We studied the variability of three hardness ratios derived from the light curves in four energy bands. All the objects show similar spectral variations in all ratios. In order to interpret the results we computed the hardness ratios corresponding to a simple spectral model of a power law plus iron line plus reflection component, considering two possibilities: a)variations with constant line equivalent width and reflection parameter R and b) variations with constant line and reflection flux. The overall, mean observed trends can be explained by spectral slope variations and a constant flux Fe line and reflection component, although the existence of a line component which is variable on short time scales cannot be excluded. Finally, we find that the data are not consistent with an increase of R with flux for individual sources, indicating that, as a single source varies, softer spectra do not correspond to larger R values.