The INTEGRAL/IBIS Complete Sample of Type 1 AGN

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the broad X-ray spectra of a complete sample of Type 1 AGN, combining high-quality data from multiple observatories to study their spectral properties and contributions to the cosmic X-ray background.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic broadband spectral analysis of a complete hard X-ray selected sample of Type 1 AGN, focusing on key spectral features and properties.

Findings

High energy cut-offs and reflection fractions measured for the sources.

Absorption properties and soft excesses characterized.

Spectral features help understand AGN emission mechanisms.

Abstract

The determination of the broad (0.1-100 keV) spectra of active galaxies is crucial for understanding and discriminating among emission models, for estimating the properties of the Comptonising/reflecting region around the central black hole and for obtaining a firm description of the contribution of AGN to the Cosmic X-ray Background. Although broad-band X-ray measurements of AGN have been made in the past, these did not generally pertain to a complete sample of sources. Since few years, we have started a systematic analysis of the 0.1-100 keV spectra of a complete sample of AGN selected in the hard X-ray band (20-40 keV) using low energy data (not always of good quality) from a set of operating X-ray telescopes. Thanks to data obtained through an XMM-Newton Large Programme, we have now high quality 0.1-10 keV data for all sources in the sample; these combined with high energy observations from INTEGRAL/IBIS and Swift/BAT will allow us to study the spectral properties of this complete sample. Here in particular, we report the progress made on type 1 AGN, focusing in particular on the continuum and its high energy cut-off, the reflection fraction, the absorption properties and the presence of soft excesses and warm absorbers in our sources. More specifically we discuss the broad-band properties of 4 sources IGR J00333+6122, Swift J0917.2-6221, GRS 1734-292 and NGC 6814, which can be considered as the most representative objects of our sample.