A BeppoSAX observation of the Compton Thick Seyfert NGC 6240
Abstract
BeppoSAX observed the Seyfert 2 NGC6240 in August 1998. We present the results of the first detection of this galaxy above 10 keV. We found an excess emission above the extrapolation of the Compton reflection component at these energies. We argue that we are observing the nucleus through absorbing matter of column density N_H =~ 2 x 10 (24) cm (-2) , which is Compton-thick below 10 keV, but permits partial trasmission above this energy. By measuring the intrinsic X-ray luminosity we can, for the first time, compute the fraction of reprocessed emission.
- Publication:
-
AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #4
- Pub Date:
- April 1999
- Bibcode:
- 1999HEAD....4.0202V