Suzaku X-ray spectral study of the Compton-thick Seyfert galaxy NGC 5135

TL;DR

This study uses Suzaku X-ray observations to analyze the Compton-thick AGN NGC 5135, providing the first high-energy detection and estimating key properties like column density, luminosity, and torus geometry.

Contribution

First Suzaku broad-band X-ray spectral analysis of NGC 5135, estimating its absorption, intrinsic luminosity, and torus viewing angle for the first time.

Findings

Absorbing column density ~ 2.5 x 10^24 cm^-2

Intrinsic 2-10 keV luminosity ~ 1.8 x 10^43 erg/s

Edge-on torus geometry is preferred

Abstract

We present the 0.5 - 50 keV Suzaku broad-band X-ray spectral study of the Compton-thick AGN in NGC 5135. The Suzaku observation provides the first detection of NGC 5135 above 10 keV that allowed us, for the first time, to estimate the absorbing column density, the intrinsic X-ray luminosity, the strength of the reflection component and the viewing angle of the torus for this AGN. The 0.5 - 10 keV spectrum of NGC 5135 is characterized by the standard components for a Compton-thick source: a scattered continuum, a prominent Fe K{\alpha} emission line (EW ~ 2.1 keV) and a soft excess. At higher energies (E > 10 keV) the intrinsic AGN continuum shows up, implying an absorbing column density of the order of ~ 2.5 \times 10^24 cm^-2 and the intrinsic 2.0 - 10 keV X-ray luminosity of ~ 1.8 \times 10^43 erg s^-1. Assuming a toroidal geometry of the reprocessing material we show that an edge-on view of the obscuring torus is preferred in this source.