BeppoSAX Observations of Bright Seyfert 2 Galaxies: Measuring the Intrinsic Continuum Emission

Abstract

We report broad band (0.1-200 keV) X-ray observations, made by BeppoSAX, of a sample of bright Seyfert 2 galaxies: NGC7172, NGC2110, NGC4507, Mkn 3 and NGC7674. These spectra provide a better understanding of the effects of X-ray reprocessing by cold material in the source and allow to put tighter constraints on the various spectral parameters involved. In particular, the data are used to determine, with less ambiguities than in the past, the shape of the intrinsic continuum emission by means of the high energy data. Within the small sample both Compton thin and Compton thick sources are found according to the expectations of the unified theory.

4 LaTeX pages, 1 eps figure and memsait.sty included, to appear in proceedings of ``Dal nano- al tera-eV: tutti i colori degli AGN'', third Italian conference on AGNs, Roma, Memorie S.A.It