Investigating the Nuclear Obscuration in Two Types of Seyfert 2 Galaxies

Abstract

We build a large sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies (Sy2s) with both optical spectropolarimetric and X-ray data available, in which 29 of the Sy2s have a detection of polarized broad emission lines (PBLs) and 25 do not. We find that for luminous Sy2s with L-[O III] > 10(41) ergs s(-1), sources with PBLs have smaller X-ray absorption column densities in comparison to those without PBLs (at a 92.3% confidence level): most of the Sy2s with N-H < 10(23.8) cm(-2) show PBLs (86%; 12 out of 14), while the fraction is much smaller for sources with heavier obscuration (54%; 15 out of 28). The confidence level of the difference in absorption bounces up to 99.1% when using the thickness (T'') ratio (F2-10 keV/F-[O III]) as an indicator. We rule out observation or selection bias as the origin for the difference. Our results, for the first time with high statistical confidence, show that, in additional to the activity of the nuclei, the nuclear obscuration also plays an important role in the visibility of PBLs in Sy2s. These results can be interpreted in the framework of the unified model. We can reach these results in the unified model if (1) the absorption column density is higher at large inclinations and (2) the scattering region is obscured at large inclinations.