XMM‐Newton Observations of Red AGNs
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Author
Pounds, K. A.
Schmidt, G. D.
Smith, P. S.
Cutri, R. M.
Ghosh, H.
Nelson, B.
Hines, D. C.
Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1086/444555Metadata
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Wilkes, B. J., K. A. Pounds, G. D. Schmidt, P. S. Smith, R. M. Cutri, H. Ghosh, B. Nelson, and D. C. Hines. 2005. “XMM‐Newton Observations of Red AGNs.” The Astrophysical Journal 634 (1) (November 20): 183–192. doi:10.1086/444555.Abstract
XMM-Newton spectra of five red 2MASS active galactic nuclei (AGNs), selected from a sample observed by Chandra to be relatively X-ray bright and to cover a range of hardness ratios, confirm the presence of substantial absorbing material in three sources with optical classifications ranging from type 1 to type 2. A flat (hard) power-law continuum is observed in the other two. The combination of X-ray absorption and broad optical emission lines suggests either a small (nuclear) absorber or a favored viewing angle so as to cover the X-ray source but not the broad emission-line region (BELR). A soft excess is detected in all three type 1 sources. We speculate that this may arise in an extended region of ionized gas, perhaps linked to the polarized (scattered) optical light present in these sources. The spectral complexity revealed by XMM-Newton emphasizes the limitations of the low-S/N Chandra data. The new results strengthen our earlier conclusions that the observed X-ray continua of red AGNs are unusually hard at energies gsim2 keV. Their observed spectra are consistent with contributing significantly to the missing hard or absorbed population of the cosmic X-ray background (CXRB), although their intrinsic power-law slopes are typical of broad-line (type 1) AGNs (Γ ~ 1.7-1.9). This suggests that the missing X-ray-absorbed CXRB population may include type 1 AGNs or QSOs in addition to the type 2 AGNs generally assumed.Other Sources
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