1999A&A...344..857C

A new BeppoSAX broad-band (0.6-150keV) spectrum of the Seyfert 2 galaxy Mkn 3 is presented. The spectrum provides a direct measurement of a large, neutral column of gas with N_H∼10²⁴cm^–2 in the source direction. The source, as bright as 3C 273 above 10keV, has a steep (Γ∼1.8) spectrum without any evidence of a high-energy cutoff up to at least 150keV. At lower energies, the data are best modeled with the addition of an unabsorbed reflection component. Combining these data with previous Ginga and ASCA observations, the Fe K_α and reflection continuum indicate that the reprocessed emission is responding slower than the intrinsic continuum variations suggesting a size of the reprocessor >2pc. Identifying such a reprocessor with a (close to edge-on) obscuring torus, the overall result fits well into unified models since, presumably, one can interpret the strong absorption as due to transmission through the rim of the torus and the unabsorbed (directly viewed) reflection component as due to reprocessing from the torus inner surface.