Nuclear obscuration and scattering in Seyfert 2 galaxies

Abstract

We study the relation between gaseous absorbing column density (N$_{\rm H}$), infrared colors and detectability of the broad lines in a large sample of Seyfert 2 galaxies(Sy2s). We confirm that Sy2s without polarized broad lines tend to have cooler 60$μ$m/25$μ$m colors; this correlation was previously ascribed to the effect of obscuration towards the nuclear region. We find some evidence that Sy2s without polarized broad lines have larger absorbing column density (N$_{\rm H}$) and that a fraction of them are characterized by dust lanes crossing their nuclei. However, we find that the IR colors do not correlate with N$_{\rm H}$, in disagreement with the obscuration scenario. Also, Sy2s without polarized broad lines follow the same radio-FIR relation as normal and starburst galaxies, at variance with Sy2s with polarized broad lines. These results indicate that the lack of broad lines in the polarized spectrum of Sy2s is mostly due to the contribution/dilution from the host galaxy or from a circumnuclear starburst, though at a lower extent the obscuration toward the nuclear region also plays a role.