Fast spectral variability in the x-ray emission of accreting black holes

Abstract

The X-ray emission from accreting black holes provides the perfect probe for testing the geometry, behaviour and conditions present in the innermost regions of the accretion flow. In this thesis I use X-ray spectral analysis to investigate the properties of accreting black holes that extend over several orders of magnitude in accretion rate (m? E) and black hole mass (MBH), from the stellar mass black holes in X-ray binary systems (XRBs)to the supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei(AGN). Firstly, through a survey of X-ray emission in the nuclei of nearby galaxies I show that the usefulness of the X-ray to optical line ratios as a Compton-thick diagnostic does not extend to low luminosity AGN, and instead these ratios may have more practical use in distinguishing between AGN and non-AGN emission processes. Secondly, and more importantly, the main focus of this thesis is upon the variability of the Comptonised power-law X-ray spectral component, and more specifically an examination of how the photon index

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