paper

The relationship between X-ray and optical absorbers in active galactic nuclei

arXiv:2001.08900 · doi:10.1093/mnras/staa262

Abstract

We present a large compilation of reddening estimates from broad-line Balmer decrements for active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with measured X-ray column densities. The median reddening is E(B-V) ~ 0.77 +/- 0.10 for type-1 to type-1.9 AGNs with reported column densities. This is notably higher than the median reddening of AGNs from the SDSS. We attribute this to the selection bias of the SDSS towards blue AGNs. For other AGNs we find evidence of a publication bias against reporting low column densities. We find a significant correlation between N_H and E(B-V) but with a large scatter of +/- 1 dex (without accounting for uncertainties in measurements). On average the X-ray columns are consistent with those predicted from E(B-V) for a solar neighbourhood dust-to-gas ratio. We argue that the large scatter of column densities and reddenings can be explained by X-ray column-density variability. For AGNs with detectable broad-line regions (BLRs) that have undergone significant changes of Seyfert type (changing-look AGNs) we do not find any statistically significant differences in N_H or E(B-V) compared to standard type-1 to type-1.9 AGNs. There is no evidence for any type-1 AGNs being Compton-thick. We also analyze type-2 AGNs and find no significant correlation between N_H and narrow-line region reddening. The median column density of LINERs is 22.68 +/- 0.75 compared to a column density of 22.90 +/- 0.28 for type-2s. We find the majority of low column density type-2s are LINERs, but N_H is probably underestimated because of scattered X-ray light diluting the photoelectric edge.

11 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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