Paper detail

Testing The Lamp-Post and Wind Reverberation Models with XMM-Newton Observations of NGC 5506

The lamp-post geometry is often used to model X-ray data of accreting black holes. Despite its simple assumptions, it has proven to be powerful in inferring fundamental black hole properties such as the spin. Early results of X-ray reverberations showed support for such a simple picture, though wind-reverberation models have also been shown to explain the observed delays. Here, we analyze new and old XMM-Newton observations of the variable Seyfert-1 galaxy NGC 5506 to test these models. The source shows an emission line feature around 6.7 keV that is delayed relative to harder and softer energy bands. The spectral feature can be modeled with either a weakly relativistic disk line or by scattering in distant material. By modeling both the spectral and timing signatures, we find that the reflection fraction needed to explain the lags is larger than observed in the time-averaged spectrum, ruling out both a static lamp-post and simple wind reverberation models.