X-ray emission of Seyfert 2 galaxy MCG-01-24-12

Abstract

We present a detailed X-ray spectral analysis of the nearby Seyfert 2 galaxy MCG-01-24-12 based on a multi-epoch data set. Data have been taken with different X-ray satellites, namely XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, Swift and Chandra and cover different time intervals, from years down to a few days. From 2006 to 2013 the source had a 2-10 keV flux of ∼1.5×10−11 erg cm−2 s−1, consistent with archival observations based on HEAO and BeppoSAX data, though a 2019 Chandra snapshot caught the source in an extreme low flux state, a factor of ∼10 fainter than its historical one. Based on phenomenological and physically motivated models, we find the X-ray spectrum of MCG-01-24-12 to be best modelled by a power-law continuum emission with Γ=1.76±0.09 with a high energy cut-off at Ec = 70+21 −14 keV that is absorbed by a fairly constant column density of NH=(6.3±0.5)×10 cm−2. These quantities allowed us to estimate the properties of the hot corona in MCG-01-24-12 for the cases of a spherical or slab-like hot Comptonising plasma to be kTe=27 −4 keV, τe=5.5±1.3 and kTe=28 −5 keV, τ=3.2±0.8, respectively. Finally, despite the short duration of the exposures, possible evidence of the presence of outflows is discussed.