Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2001-06-28
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
11 pages (AASTeX), including 3 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
Scientific paper
10.1086/322991
We present a composite 1-10 keV Seyfert 2 X-ray spectrum, derived from ASCA observations of a distance-limited sample of nearby galaxies. All 29 observed objects were detected. Above ~3 keV, the composite spectrum is inverted, confirming that Seyfert 2 galaxies as a class have the spectral properties necessary to explain the flat shape of the cosmic X-ray background spectrum. Integrating the composite spectrum over redshift, we find that the total emission from Seyfert 2 galaxies, combined with the expected contribution from unabsorbed type 1 objects, provides an excellent match to the spectrum and intensity of the hard X-ray background. The principal uncertainty in this procedure is the cosmic evolution of the Seyfert 2 X-ray luminosity function. Separate composite spectra for objects in our sample with and without polarized broad optical emission lines are also presented.
Barth Aaron J.
Davis Martin
Filippenko Alexei V.
Kay Laura E.
Moran Edward C.
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