AGN with faint broad line regions: Some ‘True’-Seyfert 2s might be Narrow Line Seyfert 1s

Abstract

AbstractThe intriguing existence of ‘True’-Seyfert 2s has opened a debate on the validity of the unified model of active galactic nuclei (AGN). These objects, also called ‘Naked’-AGN, seem to lack a broad line region. In some cases, their X-ray emission is unabsorbed, typical of Seyfert 1 galaxies, indicating a clear view toward the nucleus, but no broad lines are seen in the optical. In ‘True’-Seyfert 2s with higher column densities, observations of polarized light have failed to reveal the hidden broad emission. We performed high-resolution near-infrared integral-field observations of two ‘True’-Seyfert 2 candidates: IRAS 01072+4954 and NGC 7496. We found that the AGN in these sources might power very faint and narrow broad emission lines (FWHMbroad < 1500km s−1). Here, we discuss the properties of the broad components estimated from published X-ray and/or optical measurements and present their near-infrared candidate identification. Both galaxies host intermediate-mass black holes, with masses ~ 105−106 M⊙. Our results favor the unified model in the cases of high accretion rates, and stress the necessity of a multiwavelength approach to unveil the nature of ‘Naked’-AGN.