A2111: a z=0.23 Butcher–Oemler cluster with a non-isothermal atmosphere and normal metallicity

We report results from an X-ray study of the Abell 2111 galaxy cluster using the Advanced Satellite for Astrophysics and Cosmology ( ASCA ) and the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC). By correcting for the energy-dependent point-spread function of the ASCA instruments, we have examined the temperature structure of the cluster. The core of the cluster within 3 arcmin is found to have a temperature of 6.46±0.87 keV, significantly higher than the value of 3.10±1.19 keV in the surrounding region of r =3–6 arcmin. This radially decreasing temperature structure can be parametrized by a polytropic index of γ ≃ 1.45. The X-ray morphology of the cluster appears elongated and clumpy on scales ≤1 arcmin. These results, together with earlier ROSAT and optical studies which revealed that the X-ray centroid and ellipticity of A2111 shift with spatial scale, are consistent with the hypothesis that the cluster is a dynamically young system. Most likely, the cluster has recently undergone a merger, which may also be responsible for the high fraction of blue galaxies observed in the cluster. Alternatively, the temperature structure may also be caused by the gravitational potential of the cluster. We have also measured the emission-weighted abundance of the X-ray-emitting intracluster medium as 0.25±0.14 solar. This value is similar to those of nearby clusters that do not show a large blue galaxy fraction, indicating that star formation in disc galaxies and subsequent loss to the medium do not drastically alter the average abundance of a cluster. This is consistent with recent results, which indicate that cluster abundances have remained constant since at least z ∼0.3.     

Zw 1718.10108: a highly disturbed galaxy cluster at low Galactic latitude

We report the discovery of highly distorted X-ray emission associated with the nearby cluster Zw 1718.10108, one of the dominant members of which is the powerful radio galaxy 3C353. This cluster has been missed by previous X-ray cluster surveys because of its low Galactic latitude ( b =19.5°), despite its brightness in the hard X-ray band (210 keV flux of 1.210¹¹ erg cm² s¹). Our optical charge-coupled device image of the central part of the cluster reveals many member galaxies which are dimmed substantially by heavy Galactic extinction. We have measured redshifts of three bright galaxies near the X-ray emission peak and they are all found to be around z =0.028. The ASCA gas imaging spectrometer and ROSAT high-resolution imager images show three aligned X-ray clumps embedded in low surface-brightness X-ray emission extended by 30 arcmin. The averaged temperature measured with ASCA is kT =4.3±0.2 keV, which appears to be hot for the bolometric luminosity when compared with the temperatureluminosity correlation of galaxy clusters. The irregular X-ray morphology and evidence for a non-uniform temperature distribution suggest that the system is undergoing a merger of substructures. Since the sizes and luminosities of the individual clumps are consistent with those of galaxy groups, Zw 1718.10108 is interpreted as an on-going merger of galaxy groups in a dark matter halo forming a cluster of galaxies and thus is in a transition phase of cluster formation.     

BeppoSAX observations of three distant, highly luminous clusters of galaxies: RXJ1347−1145, Zwicky 3146 and Abell 2390

We present an analysis of BeppoSAX observations of three clusters of galaxies that are amongst the most luminous in the Universe: RXJ1347−1145, Zwicky 3146 and Abell 2390. Using data from both the Low Energy (LECS) and Medium Energy (MECS) Concentrator Spectrometers, and a joint analysis with the Phoswich Detection System (PDS) data above 10 keV, we constrain, with a relative uncertainty of between 7 and 42 per cent (90 per cent confidence level), the mean gas temperature in the three clusters. These measurements are checked against any possible non-thermal contribution to the plasma emission and are shown to be robust.
We confirm that RXJ1347−1145 has a gas temperature that lies in the range between 13.2 and 22.3 keV at the 90 per cent confidence level, and is larger than 12.1 keV at 3 σ level. The existence of such a hot galaxy cluster at redshift of about 0.45 implies an upper limit on the mean mass density in the Universe, Ω_m, of 0.5.
Combining the BeppoSAX estimates for gas temperature and luminosity of the three clusters presented in this work with ASCA measurements available in the literature, we obtain a slope of 2.7 in the L – T relation once the physical properties are corrected from the contamination from the central cooling flows.     

ROSAT PSPC observations of the outer regions of the Perseus cluster of galaxies

We present an analysis of four off-axis ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) observations of the Perseus cluster of galaxies (Abell 426). We detect the surface brightness profile to a radius of 80 arcmin (∼2.4 h⁻¹₅₀ Mpc) from the X-ray peak. The profile is measured in various sectors and in three different energy bands. First, a colour analysis highlights a slight variation of N _H over the region, and cool components in the core and in the eastern sector. We apply the β-model to the profiles from different sectors and present a solution to the, so-called, β-problem. The residuals from an azimuthally-averaged profile highlight extended emission both in the east and in the west, with estimated luminosities of about 8 and 1 ×10⁴³ erg s⁻¹, respectively. We fit several models to the surface brightness profile, including the one obtained from the Navarro, Frenk &38; White potential. We obtain the best fit with the gas distribution described by a power law in the inner, cooling region and a β-model for the extended emission. Through the best-fitting results and the constraints from the deprojection of the surface brightness profiles, we define the radius where the overdensity inside the cluster is 200 times the critical value, r ₂₀₀, at 2.7 h⁻¹₅₀ Mpc. Within 2.3  h⁻¹₅₀ Mpc (0.85 r ₂₀₀), the total mass in the Perseus cluster is 1.2 × 10¹⁵ M_⊙ and its gas fraction is about 30 per cent.     

X-ray analysis of the cluster 3C 129

The cluster 3C 129 is classified as a rich cluster. An analysis of the properties of the cluster 3C 129 from ROSAT PSPC and HRI, Einstein IPC, and EXOSAT ME observations is presented. The mean temperature from a joint fit of the ROSAT PSPC and EXOSAT ME data is 5.5(±0.2) keV. The luminosity is 0.6×10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ in 0.2–2.4 keV and 2.7×10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹ in 0.2–10 keV. We find a cooling flow with a rate of ∼84 M_⊙ yr⁻¹. The central gas density is 6×10⁻³ cm⁻³, and the ICM mass is 3.6×10¹³ M_⊙. The total cluster mass is ∼5×10¹⁴ M_⊙. The X-ray morphology shows an east–west elongation, which is evidence for a recent merger event. The radio source 3C 129.1 is located near the X-ray centre. Another cluster member galaxy (the radio galaxy 3C 129) is a prototype of head-tailed radio galaxies, and is located in the west part of the cluster. The tail points along the gradient of intracluster gas pressure. There are no significant point X-ray sources associated with the AGNs of the two radio galaxies.     

The hard X-ray spectrum of soft X-ray-selected AGN

I use ASCA data to investigate the 2–10 keV X-ray emission of active galactic nuclei (AGN) taken from the ROSAT International X-ray Optical Survey (RIXOS). I find that the integrated spectrum of these faint, soft X-ray-selected AGN in the 2–10 keV band is harder (best-fitting α = 0.8 ± 0.1) than the slope measured with ROSAT between 0.1 and 2 keV, but softer than the 2–10 keV X-ray background, and consistent with the average 2–10 keV spectrum of bright, nearby Seyfert galaxies. With this spectral slope and using measurements of the AGN contribution to the 1–2 keV X-ray background, I estimate that the AGN percentage contribution to the 2–10 keV background is 0.60 ^+0.19_−0.14 times the AGN percentage contribution to the 1–2 keV background. Hence AGN produce between 12 and 32 per cent of the 2–10 keV X-ray background. This is only the contribution from the types of AGN which are found in soft X-ray surveys; a population of absorbed AGN could represent an additional component of the 2–10 keV X-ray background.     

ASCA and ROSAT observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxy RX J0437.4−4711

Results of ASCA and ROSAT observations of the Seyfert 1 galaxy RX J0437.4−4711 are presented. The X-ray continuum spectrum can be described by the sum of a power law with photon index 2.15 ± 0.04 and a soft emission component characterized by a blackbody with temperature 29 ± 2 eV. The total luminosity of the soft component is larger than that of the power-law component if the power law is cut off around a few hundred keV. A weak absorption edge with τ = 0.26 ± 0.13 at the rest-frame energy of E  = 0.83 ± 0.05 keV and an Fe Kα line with EW = 430 ± 220 eV at an energy E  = 6.47 ± 0.15 keV are also detected. The X-ray flux showed a 47 per cent increase between two ASCA observations 4 months apart, but no spectral variability was seen. We argue that reprocessing of the hard X-ray emission cannot produce all the soft X-ray emission, since the total luminosity of the soft component is larger than that of the integrated power-law component. Similarities with some stellar black hole candidates are briefly discussed.     

Note on a polytropic β-model to fit the X-ray surface brightness of clusters of galaxies

I suggest that the β -model used to fit the X-ray surface brightness profiles of extended sources, like groups and clusters of galaxies, has to be corrected when the counts are collected in a wide energy band comparable to the mean temperature of the source, and a significant gradient in the gas temperature is observed. I present a revised version of the β -model for the X-ray brightness that applies to an intracluster gas with temperature and density related by a polytropic equation and extends the standard version that is strictly valid for an isothermal gas. Given a temperature gradient observed through an energy window of 1–10 keV typical for the new generation of X-ray observatories, the β parameter can change systematically by up to 20 per cent from the value obtained under isothermal assumption, i.e. by an amount larger than any statistical uncertainty obtained from the present data. Within the virial regions of typical clusters of galaxies, these systematic corrections affect the total gravitating mass estimate by 5–10 per cent, the gas mass by 10–30 per cent and the gas fraction value up to 50 per cent, when compared with the measurements obtained under the isothermal assumption.     

Radio properties of the Shapley Concentration – III. Merging clusters in the A3558 complex

We present the results of a 22-cm radio survey carried out with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) covering the A3558 complex, a chain formed by the merging ACO clusters A3556–A3558–A3562 and the two groups SC 1327−312 and SC 1323−313, located in the central region of the Shapley Concentration. The purpose of our survey is to study the effects of cluster mergers on the statistical properties of radio galaxies and to investigate the connection between mergers and the presence of radio haloes and relic sources.
We found that the radio source counts in the A3558 complex are consistent with the background source counts. The much higher optical density compared with the background is not reflected as a higher density of radio sources. Furthermore, we found that no correlation exists between the local density and the radio source power, and that steep-spectrum radio galaxies are not segregated in denser optical regions.
The radio luminosity function for elliptical and S0 galaxies is significantly lower than for cluster early-type galaxies and for those not selected to be in clusters at radio powers log  P _1.4≳22.5, implying that the probability of a galaxy becoming a radio source above this power limit is lower in the Shapley Concentration compared with any other environment. Possible explanations will be presented.
The detection of a head–tail source in the centre of A3562, coupled with careful inspection of the 20-cm NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) and of 36-cm MOST observations, allowed us to spot two extended sources in the region between A3562 and SC 1329−313, i.e. a candidate radio halo at the centre of A3562 and low brightness extended emission around a 14.96-mag Shapley galaxy. The relation between these two extended galaxies and the ongoing group merger in this region of the Shapley Concentration are discussed.     

X-ray observations of the ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS 19254−7245 (the Superantennae)

We present ROSAT High Resolution Imager (HRI) and ASCA observations of the well-known ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) IRAS 19254−7245 (the 'Superantennae' ). The object is not detected by ROSAT , implying a 3 σ upper limit of X-ray luminosity L _X∼8×10⁴¹ erg s⁻¹ in the 0.1–2 keV band. However, we obtain a clear detection by ASCA , yielding a luminosity in the 2–10 keV band of 2×10⁴² erg s⁻¹. The X-ray spectrum of IRAS 19254−7245 is very hard, equivalent to a photon index of Γ=1.0±0.35. We therefore attempt to model the X-ray data using a 'scatterer' model, in which the intrinsic X-ray emission along our line of sight is obscured by an absorbing screen while some fraction, f , is scattered into our line of sight by an ionized medium; this is the standard model for the X-ray emission in obscured (but non Compton-thick) Seyfert galaxies. We obtain an absorbing column density of N _H=2×10²³ cm⁻² for a power-law photon index of Γ=1.9, an order of magnitude above the column estimated on the basis of optical observations; the percentage of the scattered emission is high (∼20 per cent). Alternatively, a model where most of the X-ray emission comes from reflection on a Compton-thick torus ( N _H>10²⁴ cm⁻²) cannot be ruled out. We do not detect an Fe line at 6.4 keV; however, the upper limit (90 per cent) to the equivalent width of the 6.4 keV line is high (∼3 keV). Overall , the results suggest that most of the X-ray emission originates in a highly obscured Seyfert 2 nucleus.     

BeppoSAX observations of 1-Jy BL Lacertae objects – I

We present new BeppoSAX observations of seven BL Lacertae objects selected from the 1-Jy sample plus one additional source. The collected data cover the energy range     (observer's frame), reaching ∼50 keV for one source (BL Lac). All sources characterized by a peak in their multifrequency spectra at infrared/optical energies (i.e., of the low-energy peaked BL Lac type, LBL) display a relatively flat     X-ray spectrum, which we interpret as inverse Compton emission. Four objects (two-thirds of the LBLs) show some evidence for a low-energy steepening, which is probably due to the synchrotron tail merging into the inverse Compton component around ∼     . If this were generally the case with LBLs, it would explain why the     ROSAT spectra of our sources are systematically steeper than the BeppoSAX ones     . The broad-band spectral energy distributions fully confirm this picture, and a synchrotron inverse Compton model allows us to derive the physical parameters (intrinsic power, magnetic field, etc.) of our sources. Combining our results with those obtained by BeppoSAX on BL Lacs covering a wide range of synchrotron peak frequency, ν _peak, we confirm and clarify the dependence of the X-ray spectral index on ν _peak originally found in ROSAT data.     

X-ray and radio observations of the poor cluster A3581 which hosts the radio galaxy PKS 1404 − 267

We present new X-ray and H  I 21-cm data on the poor cluster of galaxies Abell 3581. The ASCA spectrum requires a low temperature, has a strong requirement for excess absorption and shows evidence for multi-temperature components. The ROSAT HRI image shows the strongly peaked emission indicative of a cooling flow. Despite the low temperature (∼ 1.5–2.0 keV) and low luminosity (∼ 2 × 10⁴² erg s⁻¹ in the 2–10 keV band), Abell 3581 has a mass deposition rate ∼ 80 M⊙ yr⁻¹ which is larger than found for other nearby low-luminosity objects. VLA observations in the 21-cm band set velocity width and spin temperature dependent limits on the column density of atomic hydrogen.     

Hα photometry of Abell 2390

We present the results of a search for strong H α emission line galaxies (rest frame equivalent widths greater than 50 Å) in the z ≈0.23 cluster Abell 2390. The survey contains 1189 galaxies over 270 arcmin², and is 50 per cent complete at M _r ≈−17.5+5 log  h . The fraction of galaxies in which H α is detected at the 2 σ level rises from 0.0 in the central regions (excluding the cD galaxy) to 12.5±8 per cent at R ₂₀₀. For 165 of the galaxies in our catalogue, we compare the H α equivalent widths with their [O  ii ] λ 3727 equivalent widths, from the Canadian Network for Observational Cosmology (CNOC1) spectra. The fraction of strong H α emission line galaxies is consistent with the fraction of strong [O  ii ] emission galaxies in the CNOC1 sample: only 2±1 per cent have no detectable [O  ii ] emission and yet significant (>2 σ ) H α equivalent widths. Dust obscuration, non-thermal ionization, and aperture effects are all likely to contribute to this non-correspondence of emission lines. We identify six spectroscopically 'secure' k+a galaxies [ W ₀(O  ii )<5 Å and W ₀(H δ )≳5 Å]; at least two of these show strong signs in H α of star formation in regions that are covered by the slit from which the spectra were obtained. Thus, some fraction of galaxies classified as k+a based on spectra shortward of 6000 Å are likely to be undergoing significant star formation. These results are consistent with a 'strangulation' model for cluster galaxy evolution, in which star formation in cluster galaxies is gradually decreased, and is neither enhanced nor abruptly terminated by the cluster environment.     

Cross-correlation of the unresolved X‐ray background with faint galaxies

At the faint end of the deepest X-ray surveys, a population of X-ray luminous galaxies is seen. In this paper, we present the results of a cross-correlation between the residual, unresolved X-ray photons in a very deep X-ray survey and the positions of faint galaxies, in order to examine the importance of these objects at even fainter flux levels. We measure a significant correlation on all angular scales up to ∼1 arcmin. This signal could account for a significant fraction of the unresolved X‐ray background, approximately 35 per cent if the clustering is similar to optically selected galaxies. However, the angular form of the correlation is seen to be qualitatively similar to that expected for clusters of galaxies and the X-ray emission could be associated with hot gas in clusters or with QSOs within galaxy clusters rather than emission from individual faint galaxies. The relative contribution from each of these possibilities cannot be determined with the current data.     

Radio properties of the Shapley Concentration — II. J1324–3138: a remnant of a radio galaxy in the Abell cluster A3556?

In this paper we present a detailed study of the radio galaxy J1324–3138, located at a projected distance of 2 arcmin from the centre of the Abell cluster of galaxies A3556, belonging to the core of the Shapley Concentration, at an average redshift of z  = 0.05. We have observed J1324–3138 over a wide range of frequencies: at 327 MHz (VLA), 843 MHz (MOST), and at 1376, 2382, 4790 and 8640 MHz (ATCA).   Our analysis suggests that J1324–3138 is a remnant of a tailed radio galaxy, in which the nuclear engine has switched off and the radio source is now at a late stage of its evolution, confined by the intracluster gas. The radio galaxy is not in pressure equilibrium with the external medium, as is often found for extended radio sources in clusters of galaxies. We favour the hypothesis that the lack of observed polarized radio emission in the source is a result of Faraday rotation by a foreground screen, i.e. the source is seen through a dense cluster gas, characterized by a random magnetic field.   An implication of the head–tail nature of the source is that J1324–3138 is moving away from the core of A3556 and that, possibly, a major merging event between the core of A3556 and the subgroup hosting J1324–3138 has already taken place.     

ROSAT ASCA observations of X-ray luminous starburst galaxies: NGC 3310 and 3690

We present ROSAT [High Resolution Imager (HRI) and Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC)] and ASCA observations of the two luminous ( L _x ∼ 10⁴¹⁻⁴² erg s⁻¹) star-forming galaxies NGC 3310 and 3690. The HRI shows clearly that the sources are extended with the X-ray emission in NGC 3690 coming from at least three regions. The combined 0.1–10 keV spectrum of NGC 3310 can be described by two components, a Raymond–Smith plasma with temperature kT  = 0.81^+0.09_−0.12 keV and a hard power law, Γ = 1.44^−0.20_−0.11 (or alternatively a harder Raymond–Smith plasma with kT  ∼ 15 keV), while there is no substantial excess absorption above the Galactic column value. The soft component emission is probably a super wind while the nature of the hard emission is more uncertain with the likely origins being X-ray binaries, inverse Compton scattering of infrared photons, an active galactic nucleus or a very hot gas component (∼10⁸ K). The spectrum of NGC 3690 is similar, with kT  = 0.83^+0.02_−0.04 keV and Γ = 1.56^+0.11_−0.11. We also employ more complicated models such as a multi-temperature thermal plasma, a non-equilibrium ionization code or the addition of a third softer component, which improve the fit but not at a statistically significant level (2σ). These results are similar to recent results on the archetypal star-forming galaxies M82 and NGC 253.     

LoCuSS: the connection between brightest cluster galaxy activity, gas cooling and dynamical disturbance of X-ray cluster cores

We study the distribution of projected offsets between the cluster X-ray centroid and the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) for 65 X-ray-selected clusters from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey, with a median redshift of   z = 0.23  . We find a clear correlation between X-ray/BCG projected offset and the logarithmic slope of the cluster gas density profile at  0.04 r ₅₀₀(α  ), implying that more dynamically disturbed clusters have weaker cool cores. Furthermore, there is a close correspondence between the activity of the BCG, in terms of detected Hα and radio emission, and the X-ray/BCG offset, with the line-emitting galaxies all residing in clusters with X-ray/BCG offsets of ≤15 kpc. Of the BCGs with  α < −0.85  and an offset <0.02 r ₅₀₀, 96 per cent (23/24) have optical emission and 88 per cent (21/24) are radio active, while none has optical emission outside these criteria. We also study the cluster gas fraction ( f _gas) within r ₅₀₀ and find a significant correlation with X-ray/BCG projected offset. The mean f _gas of the 'small offset' clusters (<0.02 r ₅₀₀) is  0.106 ± 0.005 (σ= 0.03  ) compared to  0.145 ± 0.009 (σ= 0.04  ) for those with an offset >0.02 r ₅₀₀, indicating that the total mass may be systematically underestimated in clusters with larger X-ray/BCG offsets. Our results imply a link between cool core strength and cluster dynamical state consistent with the view that cluster mergers can significantly perturb cool cores, and set new constraints on models of the evolution of the intracluster medium.     

X-ray absorption in the strong Fe ii narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Markarian 507

We present results from spectral analysis of ASCA data on the strong Fe  ii narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 507. This galaxy was found to have an exceptionally flat ROSAT spectrum among the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) studied by Boller, Brandt & Fink. The ASCA spectrum, however, shows a clear absorption feature in the energy band below 2 keV, which partly accounts for the flat spectrum observed with the ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC). Such absorption is rarely observed in other NLS1s. The absorption is mainly the result of cold (neutral or slightly ionized) gas with a column density of (2–3) × 10²¹ cm⁻². A reanalysis of the PSPC data shows that an extrapolation of the best-fitting model for the ASCA spectrum underpredicts the X-ray emission observed with the PSPC below 0.4 keV if the absorber is neutral (which indicates that the absorber is slightly ionized), covers only part of the central source, or there is extra soft thermal emission from an extended region. There is also evidence that the X-ray absorption is complex; an additional edge feature marginally detected at 0.84 keV suggests the presence of an additional high-ionization absorber, which imposes a strong O  viii edge on the spectrum. After correction for the absorption, the photon index of the intrinsic continuum, Γ ≃ 1.8, obtained from the ASCA data is quite similar to that of ordinary Seyfert 1 galaxies. Mrk 507 still has one of the flattest continuum slopes among the NLS1s, but is no longer exceptional. The strong optical Fe  ii emission remains unusual in the light of the correlation between Fe  ii strengths and steepness of soft X-ray slope.     

A survey of hard spectrum ROSAT sources – II. Optical identification of hard sources

We have surveyed 188 ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) fields for X-ray sources with hard spectra ( α <0.5); such sources must be major contributors to the X-ray background at faint fluxes. In this paper we present optical identifications for 62 of these sources: 28 active galactic nuclei (AGN) which show broad lines in their optical spectra (BLAGN), 13 narrow emission line galaxies (NELGs), five galaxies with no visible emission lines, eight clusters and eight Galactic stars.
The BLAGN, NELGs and galaxies have similar distributions of X-ray flux and spectra. Their ROSAT spectra are consistent with their being AGN obscured by columns of 20.5< log( N _H/cm⁻²)<23 . The hard spectrum BLAGN have a distribution of X-ray to optical ratios which is similar to that found for AGN from soft X-ray surveys (1< α _OX<2) . However, a relatively large proportion (15 per cent) of the BLAGN, NELGs and galaxies are radio loud. This could be because the radio jets in these objects produce intrinsically hard X-ray emission, or if their hardness is caused by absorption, it could be because radio-loud objects are more X-ray luminous than radio-quiet objects. The eight hard sources identified as clusters of galaxies are the brightest, and softest group of sources and hence clusters are unlikely to be an important component of the hard, faint population.
We propose that BLAGN are likely to constitute a significant fraction of the faint, hard, 0.5–2 keV population and could be important to reproducing the shape of the X-ray background, because they are the most numerous type of object in our sample (comprising almost half the identified sources), and because all our high redshift ( z >1) identified hard sources have broad lines.     

The blazar GB 1428+4217: a warm absorber at z=4.72?

BeppoSAX observations of the high-redshift ( z =4.72) blazar GB 1428+4217 confirm the presence of a complex soft X-ray spectrum first seen with the ROSAT PSPC. Flattening below a rest-frame energy of 5 keV can be accounted for by absorption from an equivalent column density of (cold) gas with N _H∼8×10²² cm⁻² . Below 2 keV a (variable) excess of a factor of ∼20 above the extrapolated absorbed spectrum is also detected. These findings are consistent with and extend to higher redshifts the correlation between increasing soft X-ray flattening and increasing z , previously pointed out for large samples of radio-loud quasars. We propose that such features, including X-ray absorption and soft excess emission as well as absorption in the optical spectra, can be satisfactorily accounted for by the presence of a highly ionized nuclear absorber with column N _H∼10²³ cm⁻² , with properties possibly related to the conditions in the nuclear regions of the host galaxy. High-energy X-ray emission consistent with the extrapolation of the medium-energy spectrum is detected up to ∼300 keV (rest frame).