Optical identification of the ASCA Medium Sensitivity Survey in the northern sky: Nature of hard X-ray-selected luminous active galactic nuclei

We present the results of optical spectroscopic identifications of a bright subsample of 2-10 keV hard X-ray-selected sources from the ASCA Medium Sensitivity Survey in the northern sky (AMSSn). The flux limit of the subsample is 3 x 10(-13) erg s(-1) cm(-2) in the 2-10 keV band. All but one of the 87 hard X-ray-selected sources are optically identified, with AGNs (including broad-line AGNs, narrow-line AGNs, and three BL Lac objects), seven clusters of galaxies, and one galactic star. It is the largest complete sample of hard X-ray-selected AGNs at the bright flux limit. Amounts of absorption to their nuclei are estimated to be hydrogen column densities (N-H) of up to similar to 3 x 10(23) cm(-2) from their X-ray spectra. Optical properties of X-ray absorbed AGNs with N-H > 1 x 10(22) cm(-2) indicate the effects of dust absorption: at redshifts z < 0.6, AGNs without broad H beta emission lines have significantly larger N-H-values than AGNs with broad H beta emission lines. At z > 0: 6, the X-ray absorbed AGNs have a large hard X-ray to optical flux ratio (log f(2-10 keV)/f(R) > +1). However, three X-ray absorbed z > 0.6 AGNs show strong broad lines. In combination with hard X-ray-selected AGN samples from the ASCA Large Sky Survey, the ASCA Deep Survey in the Lockman Hole, and Chandra Deep Field North, the luminosity distributions of absorbed (N-H > 1 x 10(22) cm(-2)) and less-absorbed (N-H < 1 x 10(22) cm(-2)) AGNs are compared.