Broadband X-ray observations of the narrow-line X-ray galaxy NGC 5506

To address the nature of the Fe K alpha line profile and the soft X-ray excess in the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 5506, we have performed a broadband X-ray analysis of data obtained with ASCA and ROSAT. Variations of up to 70% in the 2-10 keV band flux are detected during a 1 day ASCA observation performed in 1997 January, while no significant change in the 2-10 keV continuum shape is found. The ASCA spectrum consists of an absorbed power law, a "soft excess" below 2 keV, and an Fe Ka emission line at 6.4 keV. The "soft excess" can be well described either by thermal emission from very low-abundance material at a temperature kT similar or equal to 0.8 keV or by scattered/leaking flux from the primary power law plus a small amount of thermal emission. The luminosity of the thermal emission in the former case is 1.2 x 10(40) ergs s(-1) over the 0.5-2 keV band, while the excess is similar to 1% of the intrinsic hard X-ray continuum in the latter case. Analysis of ROSAT HRI data confirms that the soft X-ray emission is extended on kpc scales in this object, and the extended component may account for most of the soft X-ray excess observed by the ASCA. The result suggests that in type 2 active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the "soft excess" comes at least partly from an extended region, causing a serious problem for the model in which the source is partially covered. We argue that the generally low abundances are a drawback for the single temperature thermal model and favor a scattering-dominated model. The scatterer is likely to be relatively cold (kT much less than 1 keV) in this object. The Fe K alpha profile is complex and cannot be satisfactorily modeled by a single Gaussian. Models of either double Gaussians, or a narrow Gaussian plus a line from a relativistic accretion disk viewed at an inclination of about 40 degrees +/- 10 degrees provide good fits to the data. However, the inclination of the disk can be substantially larger if there is a small amount of excessive Fe K edge absorption. The intermediate inclinations for narrow-line X-ray galaxies are consistent with a model in which the inner accretion disk is aligned with an outer obscuring torus.