Characterisation of AGN from the XMM-Newton Slew Survey

• Published in: arXiv.org 2017-02
• Main Authors: Starling, R L C, Wildy, C, Wiersema, K, Mateos, S, Saxton, R D, Read, A M, Mingo, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Active galactic nuclei; New technology; Outbursts; Red shift; Space telescopes; Telescopes; Very Large Telescope; XMM (spacecraft)
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1702.06807

We present optical spectroscopy of candidate AGN pinpointed by a Swift follow-up campaign on unidentified transients in the XMM-Newton Slew Survey, increasing the completeness of the identifications of AGN in the Survey. Our Swift follow-up campaign identified 17 XRT-detected candidate AGN, of which nine were selected for optical follow-up and a further two were confirmed as AGN elsewhere. Using data obtained at the William Herschel Telescope, Very Large Telescope and New Technology Telescope, we find AGN features in seven of the candidates. We classify six as Seyfert types 1.0 to 1.5, with broad-line region velocities spanning 2000--12000 km s\(^{-1}\), and identify one as a possible Type II AGN, consistent with the lack of a soft band X-ray detection in the Slew Survey. The Virial black hole mass estimates for the sample lie between 1\(\times\)10\(^{8}\) M\(_{\odot}\) and 3\(\times\)10\(^9\) M\(_{\odot}\), with one source likely emitting close to its Eddington rate, \(L_{\rm Bol}/L_{\rm Edd} \sim 0.9\). We find a wide redshift range of \(0.08