[Previous] | [Session 39] | [Next]
P. S. Smith, G. D. Schmidt, D. C. Hines (Steward Observatory), R. M. Cutri, B. O. Nelson (IPAC/Caltech)
We present optical, linear spectropolarimetry of new AGN discovered by the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). These objects are classified as QSOs based on their optical spectra, near-IR colors, and near-IR and [O III]5007 luminosities. In contrast to typical, optically identified QSOs (e.g., PG QSOs), their optical polarizations are very high and exceed 10% in some objects. The 2MASS sample shows a wide range of spectropolarimetric properties, but for several objects, broad Balmer emission lines and non-stellar continua are prominent in the polarized flux density spectra with the observed narrow emission lines only evident in total light. These properties suggest that dust near the nucleus partially obscures the QSO, and that material probably intermixed with the narrow line-emitting gas scatters nuclear light into our line of sight. Our polarization results hint that the 2MASS AGN sample may contain a large number of obscured QSOs.