X-ray analysis of Seyfert 1 galaxies with optical polarization: a test for unification models

In accordance with the AGN Unified Model, observed polarization can be related to the orientation of the line of sight with respect to the torus. AGN X-ray emission arises from the central region and carries the imprints of the obscuring material. We aim to test a unified scheme based on optical polarization using X-ray absorption. Using the XMM-Newton data of 19, optically polarized Seyfert 1 sources, we developed a systematic analysis by fitting a baseline model to test the presence of X-ray neutral or ionized (warm) absorption. We find that 100% of the polar-polarized sources show the presence of absorption, with 70% favoring the presence of a warm absorber. In contrast, the equatorial-polarized sources show a fraction of absorbed spectra of 75%, with only 50% consistent with the presence of a warm absorber.