Swift discovery of the Seyfert 1 galaxy RX J0134.7-0430 in an extreme X-ray and UV low-state
ATel #16931; Dirk Grupe (Northern Kentucky University), S. Komossa (MPIfR, NAOC), Norbert Schartel (ESA)
on 3 Dec 2024; 13:41 UT
Credential Certification: Dirk Grupe (dgrupe007@gmail.com)
Subjects: Optical, Ultra-Violet, X-ray, AGN, Black Hole, Quasar
Referred to by ATel #: 16938
We report on the Swift discovery of the Seyfert 1 galaxy RX J0134.7-0430 (RA=01 34 45.5, Dec=-04 30 13) in an extreme low-state in X-rays and in the UV. Swift observed RX J0134.7-0430 on 2024-November-02 and found it in the XRT at a level of 0.02 counts/s, equal to 8e-16 W/m^2 in the 0.3-10 keV band, assuming a single power law model of photon index Gamma_x = 1.75 and Galactic foreground absorption of N_H = 3.5e20 cm^-2. This corresponds to a decline by a factor 20 when compared to the previous Swift high-state detection in November 2012 (at 0.4 counts/s and 1.6e-14 W/m^2). Our Swift follow-up observation on 2024-November-29 confirmed this extreme low-state.
In our observation on November 02 we found RX J0134.7-0430 in the optical/UV
with observed Vega magnitudes of V=16.64+/-0.11, B=17.74+/-0.11, U=17.75+/-0.15, W1=18.25+/-0.17, M2=18.69+/-0.16, and W2=18.79+/-0.17. Note that the values of the November 29 observation are similar but due to the short observing time the uncertainties are significantly larger. These values
are of the order of 3 Vega magnitudes fainter in the UV band than compared with the 2012 November observation.
We will continue monitoring RX J0134.7-0430 with Swift and have triggered a pre-approved observation with XMM. We would like to thank Brad Cenko for approving our observing requests and the Swift team for promptly executing the observations. Results presented here, are based on a dedicated multi-year search for outburst and low-state AGN we are carrying out with Swift (e.g., Parker+ 2016, Grupe+ 2019, review by Komossa \& Grupe 2023).
