Publication Date:
2011-08-24
Description:
A hard X-ray source with a 2-10 keV flux of approximately 6 x 10(exp -13) ergs/sec/sq cm was detected with ASCA in the north ecliptic pole region. It is identified with the spiral galaxy NGC 6552 at a redshift of z = 0.026, which is optically classified as a Seyfert 2 galaxy. The X-ray spectrum consists of a series of atomic K-emission lines from (nearly-) neutral species of at least seven abundant elements, and a heavily absorbed (N(sub H) approx. = 6 x 10(exp 23)/sq cm) hard continuum. The iron line has an equivalent width as large as approximately 0.9 keV. Our results show that NGC 6552 is an extreme type 2 Seyfert galaxy, in which the fluorescent lines are produced when hard X-rays from a hidden active nucleus are reflected off thick cool matter into our line of sight. The intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity of the nucleus is estimated to be at least 6 x 10(exp 42) ergs/s.
Keywords:
ASTRONOMY
Type:
PASJ: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (ISSN 0004-6264); 46; 4; p. L141-L146
Format:
text
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