Testing the Kerr metric with X-ray Reflection Spectroscopy of Mrk 335 Suzaku data

Understand

Einstein's gravity has undergone extensive tests in the weak field gravitational limit, with results in agreement with theoretical predictions.

• There exist theories beyond general relativity (GR) which modify gravity in the strong field regime but agree with GR in the weak field.
• Astrophysical black holes are believed to be described by the Kerr metric and serve as suitable candidates to test strong gravity with electromagnetic radiation.
• We perform such a test by fitting one Suzaku dataset of the narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy Mrk 335 with X-ray reflection spectroscopy, using the Johannsen metric to model the black hole spacetime and test for deviations from Kerr.