Chandra Reveals Heavy Obscuration and Circumnuclear Star Formation in Seyfert 2 Galaxy NGC 4968

Abstract

We present the Chandra imaging and spectral analysis of NGC 4968, a nearby (z = 0.00986) Seyfert 2 galaxy. We discover extended ($\sim$1 kpc) X-ray emission in the soft band (0.5 - 2 keV) that is neither coincident with the narrow line region nor the extended radio emission. Based on spectral modeling, it is linked to on-going star formation ($\sim$2.6-4 M$_{\sun}$ yr${}^{-1}$). The soft emission at circumnuclear scales (inner $\sim$400 pc) originates from hot gas, with kT $\sim$ 0.7 keV, while the most extended thermal emission is cooler (kT $\sim$ 0.3 keV). We refine previous measurements of the extreme Fe K$\alpha$ equivalent width in this source (EW = 2.5${}_{-1.0}^{+2.6}$ keV), which suggests the central engine is completely embedded within Compton-thick levels of obscuration. Using physically motivated models fit to the Chandra spectrum, we derive a Compton-thick column density ($N_{\mathrm{H}}>1.25\times 10^{24}$ cm${}^{-2}$) and an intrinsic hard (2-10 keV) X-ray luminosity of $\sim$3-8$\times 10^{42}$ erg s${}^{-1}$ (depending on the presumed geometry of the obscurer), which is over two orders of magnitude larger than that observed. The large Fe K$\alpha$ EW suggests a spherical covering geometry, which could be confirmed with X-ray measurements above 10 keV. NGC 4968 is similar to other active galaxies that exhibit extreme Fe K$\alpha$ EWs (i.e., $>$2 keV) in that they also contain ongoing star formation. This work supports the idea that gas associated with nuclear star formation may increase the covering factor of the enshrouding gas and play a role in obscuring AGN.

11 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ

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• Molecular gas kinematics in the nuclear region of nearby Seyfert galaxies with ALMA
• Hard X-ray Irradiation Potentially Drives Negative AGN Feedback by Altering Molecular Gas Properties
• Modeling the Vertical Structure of Nuclear Starburst Discs: A Possible Source of AGN Obscuration at $z\sim 1$