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Description
We present the results of optical spectroscopic identifications of a bright subsample of 2-10keV hard X-ray-selected sources from the ASCA Medium Sensitivity Survey in the northern sky (AMSSn). The flux limit of the subsample is 3x10^-13^erg/s/cm^2^ in the 2-10keV 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 (NH) of up to 3x10^23^cm^-2^ from their X-ray spectra. Optical properties of X-ray absorbed AGNs with N_H_>1x10^22^cm^-2^ indicate the effects of dust absorption: at redshifts z<0.6, AGNs without broad H{beta} emission lines have significantly larger NH-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 (logf_2-10keV_/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_>1x10^22^cm^-2^) and less-absorbed (N_H_<1x10^22^cm^-2^) AGNs are compared.
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