Winds of Change: XRISM Resolve X-Ray Spectroscopy of NGC 4051

Abstract NGC 4051 is a nearby (16.7 Mpc), Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLS1), which has a low black hole mass of 10 6 M ⊙ . It is also known for its rapid X-ray variability, on timescales of kiloseconds, and has a complex, multicomponent wind in both the soft X-ray and Fe K bands. Here we present the first high-resolution XRISM Resolve spectrum of NGC 4051, which was captured in a historically bright state for a 150 ks exposure. XRISM resolves two blueshifted Fe K shell absorption troughs in the mean spectrum, which can be ascribed to H-like iron and arises from two outflow components with outflow velocities of 0.025 c and 0.04 c . A time-dependent spectral analysis shows that the iron K absorption is variable on timescales of less than a day, increasing in velocity over the duration of the observation. The velocity changes may be explained either by the passage of two separate transiting absorbers, of different velocities, or by a single accelerating outflow of approximately constant column density. In the latter case, the wind acceleration is likely to be too large to be caused by radiation pressure, and instead, magnetic driving is favored to accelerate the wind up to 0.04 c . The outflow can originate from an accretion disk wind, whose kinetic power is sub-Eddington, in contrast to recent examples of winds from powerful, luminous quasars observed by XRISM.

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Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2026-04-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae5527
Primary Topic
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
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article
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article

Winds of Change: XRISM Resolve X-Ray Spectroscopy of NGC 4051

M. Elvis, Satoshi Yamada, J. N. Reeves, HIROFUMI NODA et al.
The Astrophysical Journal
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
article

Winds of Change: XRISM Resolve X-Ray Spectroscopy of NGC 4051

M. Elvis, Satoshi Yamada, J. N. Reeves, HIROFUMI NODA, T. J. Turner, G. Fabbiano, Anna Trindade Falcão, Shoji Ogawa, S. B. Kraemer, Valentina Braito
article en

Abstract

Abstract NGC 4051 is a nearby (16.7 Mpc), Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy (NLS1), which has a low black hole mass of 10 6 M ⊙ . It is also known for its rapid X-ray variability, on timescales of kiloseconds, and has a complex, multicomponent wind in both the soft X-ray and Fe K bands. Here we present the first high-resolution XRISM Resolve spectrum of NGC 4051, which was captured in a historically bright state for a 150 ks exposure. XRISM resolves two blueshifted Fe K shell absorption troughs in the mean spectrum, which can be ascribed to H-like iron and arises from two outflow components with outflow velocities of 0.025 c and 0.04 c . A time-dependent spectral analysis shows that the iron K absorption is variable on timescales of less than a day, increasing in velocity over the duration of the observation. The velocity changes may be explained either by the passage of two separate transiting absorbers, of different velocities, or by a single accelerating outflow of approximately constant column density. In the latter case, the wind acceleration is likely to be too large to be caused by radiation pressure, and instead, magnetic driving is favored to accelerate the wind up to 0.04 c . The outflow can originate from an accretion disk wind, whose kinetic power is sub-Eddington, in contrast to recent examples of winds from powerful, luminous quasars observed by XRISM.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 1001(2)
Goddard Space Flight Center (US), University of Trento (IT), Tohoku University (JP), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JP), Brera Astronomical Observatory (IT), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (JP), Eureka Scientific (US), Catholic University of America (US)
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Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
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