Chandra Observations of the Cloverleaf Quasar H1413+117: A Unique Laboratory for Microlensing Studies of a LoBAL Quasar

Abstract

We present new results uncovered by a reanalysis of a Chandra observation of the gravitationally lensed, low-ionization broad absorption line (LoBAL) quasar H1413+117. Previous analyses of the same Chandra observation led to the detection of a strong, redshifted Fe Kα line from the combined spectrum of all images. We show that the redshifted Fe Kα line is only significant in the brighter image A. The X-ray flux fraction of image A is larger by a factor of 1.55+/-0.17 than the optical R-band flux fraction, indicating that image A is significantly enhanced in the X-ray band. We also find that the Fe Kα line and the continuum are enhanced by different factors. A microlensing event could explain both the energy-dependent magnification and the significant detection of Fe Kα line emission in the spectrum of image A only. In the context of this interpretation, we provide constraints on the spatial extent of the inferred scattered continuum and reprocessed Fe Kα line emission regions in a LoBAL quasar.