We present results of a 100 ks XMM-Newton observation of the Seyfert 1.5 AGN NGC 3227. Our best-fit broadband model to the EPIC pn spectrum consists of a moderately flat (photon index of 1.57) hard X-ray power-law absorbed by cold gas with a column density of 3 × 10 21 cm 2 , plus a strong soft excess, modeled as a steep power law with a photon index of 3.35, absorbed by cold gas with a column density of 9 × 10 20 cm −2 . The soft excess increases in normalization by ∼20% in ∼20 ks, independently of the hard X-ray emission component, and the UV continuum, tracked via the OM, also shows a strong increasing trend over the observation, consistent with reprocessing of soft X-ray emission. Warm absorber signatures are evident in both the EPIC and RGS spectra; we model two absorbing layers, with ionization parameters logξ = 1.2 and 2.9 erg cm s −1 , and with similar column densities (∼ 1-2 ×10 21 cm −2 ). The outflow velocities relative to systemic of the high-and low-ionization absorbers are estimated to be -(2060 +240 −170 ) km s −1 and -(420 +430 −190 ) km s −1 , respectively. The Fe Kα line FWHM width is 7000 ± 1500 km s −1 ; its inferred distance from the black hole is consistent with the BLR and with the inner radius of the dust reverberation-mapped by Suganuma et al. An emission feature near 6.0 keV is modeled equally well as a narrow redshifted Fe K line, possibly associated with a disk "hot-spot," or as the red wing to a relativistically broadened Fe line profile. Swift-BAT and archival RXTE data suggest at most a weak Compton reflection hump (R 0.5), and a high-energy cutoff near 100 keV. From RXTE monitoring, we find tentative evidence for a significant fraction of the Fe line flux to track variations in the continuum on time scales < 700 days. 11 The Hα/Hβ ratio is intrinsically 3.1, assuming case B recombination and assuming that collisional excitation is negligible, applicable for typical NLR conditions, but see warnings by Netzer 1990 regarding uncertainties in the intrinsic Balmer decrement. 12 radial emissivity per unit area is quantified as a power law, r −β 13 1 Rg ≡ GM BH /c 2

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We present a detailed analysis of the soft X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 509 taken with the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer. An underlying power-law continuum and three warm absorber phases provide a good fit to the data along with a number of broad and narrow emission lines. Our three warm absorber phases each have different ionization parameters and column densities. We identify a low ionization, log ξ = 0.89, high outflow velocity phase producing an Fe M-shell UTA feature along with absorption from O VI and N VI. There is an intermediate phase, log ξ = 2.14, showing absorption from H-like carbon and nitrogen and He-like neon and oxygen. The third, high ionization, log ξ = 3.26, low outflow velocity phase contains absorption from O VIII, Ne X and highly ionized iron. All phases are blueshifted with respect to the systemic velocity with flow velocities ranging from -60 km s −1 to -510 km s −1 . The observed broad emission features have an rms velocity of 8000 ± 3000 km s −1 for the C VI and OVII lines.

We have examined simultaneous X-ray and optical light curves of a sample of eight nearby Seyfert 1 galaxies observed using the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) X-ray cameras and Optical Monitor onboard XMM-Newton. The observations span ∼1 d and revealed optical variability in four of the eight objects studied. In all the cases, the X-ray variability amplitude exceeded that of the optical both in fractional and in absolute luminosity terms. No clearly significant correlations were detected between wavebands using cross-correlation analysis. We conclude that, in three of the four objects in which optical variability was detected, reprocessing mechanisms between wavebands do not dominate either the optical or the X-ray variability on the time-scales probed.

Aims. We present an accurate characterisation of the high-resolution X-ray spectrum of the Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxy Arakelian 564 and put it in to context with other objects of its type by making a detailed comparison of their spectra. Methods. The data are taken from 5 observations with the XMM-Newton Reflection Grating Spectrometer and fitted with various spectral models. Results. The best fit to the data identifies five significant emission lines at 18.9, 22.1, 24.7, 29.0 and 33.5 Å due to O VIII Lyα, O VII(f), N VII Lyα, N VI(i) and C VI Lyα respectively. These have an RMS velocity of ∼1100 km s −1 and a flow velocity of ∼−600 km s −1 , except for the O VII(f) emission line, which has a flow velocity consistent with zero. Two separate emitting regions are identified. Three separate phases of photoionized, X-ray absorbing gas are included in the fit with ionization parameters log ξ = −0.86, 0.87, 2.56 and column densities N H = 0.89, 2.41, 6.03 × 10 20 cm −2 respectively. All three phases show this to be an unusually low velocity outflow (−10 ± 100 km s −1 ) for a narrow line Seyfert 1. We present the hypothesis that the BLR is the source of the NLR and warm absorber, and examine optical and UV images from the XMM-Newton Optical Monitor to relate our findings to the characteristics of the host galaxy.