your ID: 0098 
First Name: Chris 
Last Name: Done 
Affiliation: University of Durham 
Title: The origin of the soft X-ray excess in AGN 
Authors: Done & Gierlinski 
Topic: 1 
Session: oral 
Abstract: The origin of the soft X-ray excess seen in most high mass accretion rate AGN 
is still an unsolved problem. It is unlikely to represent a true continuum component as its 
characteristic \'temperature\' remains constant over a wide range of AGN black hole mass. 
t is more likely to be the signature of partially ionised material with high velocity shear, 
seen either in reflection or absorption. I show that the absorption model can fit both the 
observed spectra and variability, and review other constraints which  show that it may 
be more physically plausible than reflection.