The Broadband X-ray Spectrum of the X-ray Obscured Type 1 AGN 2MASX J193013.80+341049.5

TL;DR

This study analyzes the broadband X-ray spectrum of the obscured Type 1 AGN 2MASX J193013.80+341049.5, revealing high X-ray obscuration despite optical classification, and suggests dust-free gas in the BLR causes the discrepancy.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed broadband X-ray spectral analysis of this AGN, combining multiple observations and models to understand its obscuration properties and classification mismatch.

Findings

High X-ray obscuration with N_H > 10^23 cm^-2 across 8 years

Optical emission lines indicate unobscured Type 1 AGN

Low dust-to-gas ratio suggests dust-free gas in the BLR

Abstract

We present results from modeling the broadband X-ray spectrum of the Type 1 AGN 2MASX J193013.80+341049.5 using NuSTAR, Swift and archival XMM-Newton observations. We find this source to be highly X-ray obscured, with column densities exceeding 10$^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$ across all epochs of X-ray observations, spanning an 8 year period. However, the source exhibits prominent broad optical emission lines, consistent with an unobscured Type 1 AGN classification. We fit the X-ray spectra with both phenomenological reflection models and physically-motivated torus models to model the X-ray absorption. We examine the spectral energy distribution of this source and investigate some possible scenarios to explain the mismatch between X-ray and optical classifications. We compare the ratio of reddening to X-ray absorbing column density ($E_{B-V}/N_{H}$) and find that 2MASX J193013.80+341049.5 likely has a much lower dust-to-gas ratio relative to the Galactic ISM, suggesting that the Broad Line Region (BLR) itself could provide the source of extra X-ray obscuration, being composed of low-ionization, dust-free gas.