A BeppoSAX observation of MKN6

¹ IASF/CNR, via Piero Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
² ASI Science Data Center, c/o ESA-ESRIN, Via Galileo Galilei, 00044 Frascati, Italy
³ Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA, USA
⁴ INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via dell'Osservatorio, 00044 Monteporzio Catone, Italy
⁵ Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Corresponding author: A. Malizia, malizia@bo.iasf.cnr.it

Received: 4 March 2003
Accepted: 16 May 2003

Abstract

We have used the BeppoSAX satellite to study the broad band (0.5–100 keV) X-ray spectrum of the Seyfert 1.5 galaxy MKN6. The source is characterized by a power law of and there is no strong evidence for either a reflection bump or a high energy cut-off. We have detected a narrow iron line at 6.4 keV (rest frame) with an equivalent width of 98 eV. MKN6 also exhibits strong and complex absorption. At least two components ( cm^-2 and  cm^-2) are present and they both partially cover the source with covering fractions of ~90% and ~50% respectively. Comparison with a previous ASCA observation indicates that in both absorbing columns the N_H is variable over a 2 year timescale, while the covering fractions are constant over the same amount of time. The state of each absorber is cold or mildly photoionized. The Broad Line Region (BLR) is suggested as the possible location for this complex absorption.