Probing AGN inner structure with X-ray obscured type 1 AGN

Using the X-ray-selected active galactic nuclei (AGN) from the XMM-XXL north survey and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey spectroscopic follow-up of them, we compare the properties of X-ray unobscured and obscured broad-line AGN (BLAGN1 and BLAGN2; N_H below and above 10^21.5 cm^-2), including their X-ray luminosity L_X, black hole mass, Eddington ratio λ_Edd, optical continuum, and line features. We find that BLAGN2 have systematically larger broad line widths and hence apparently higher (lower) M_BH (λ_Edd) than BLAGN1. We also find that the X-ray obscuration in BLAGN tends to coincide with optical dust extinction, which is optically thinner than that in narrow-line AGN (NLAGN) and likely partial covering to the broad-line region. All the results can be explained in the framework of a multicomponent, clumpy torus model by interpreting BLAGN2 as an intermediate type between BLAGN1 and NLAGN in terms of an intermediate inclination angle.