A Puzzling X-Ray Source Found in the chandra Deep Field South

Abstract

In this letter we report the detection of an extremely strong X-ray emission line in the 940ks chandra ACIS-I spectrum of CXO CDFS J033225.3-274219. The source was identified as a Type1 AGN at redshift of z = 1.617, with 2.0 -- 10.0 keV rest frame X-ray luminosity of ~ 10^44 ergs s^-1. The emission line was detected at 6.2^{+0.2}_{-0.1} keV, with an equivalent width (EW) of 4.4^{+3.2}_{-1.4} keV, both quantities referring to the observed frame. In the rest frame, the line is at 16.2^{+0.4}_{-0.3} keV with an EW of 11.5^{+8.3}_{-3.7} keV. An X-ray emission line at similar energy (~ 17 keV, rest frame) in QSO PKS 2149-306 was discovered before using ASCA data. We reject the possibility that the line is due to a statistical or instrumental artifact. The line is most likely due to blueshifted Fe-K emission from an relativistic outflow, probably an inner X-ray jet, with velocities of the order of ~ 0.6-0.7c. Other possible explanations are also discussed.