Suzaku Observation of a Hard Excess in 1H 0419-577: Detection of a Compton-Thick Partial-Covering Absorber

Abstract

We present results from a 200 ks Suzaku observation of 1H 0419-577 taken during 2007 July. The source shows a strong excess of counts above 10 keV compared to the extrapolation of models based on previous data in the 0.5-10 keV band. The 'hard excess' in 1H 0419-577 can be explained by the presence of a Compton-thick partial-covering absorber that covers ~ 70% of the source. The Compton-thick gas likely originates from a radius inside of the optical BLR and may form part of a clumpy disk wind. The fluorescent Fe Ka luminosity measured by Suzaku is consistent with that expected from an equatorial disk wind.

Accepted for publication in ApJ. 14 pages, 4 color figures