BeppoSAX discovery of a new Seyfert 2 galaxy: 1SAXJ2234.8-2541

In the present work we report the Bep-poSAXserendipitous discovery of the t ype 2 AGN 1SAXJ2234.8-2541 in the MECS field of view when pointing at the S eyfert 2 galaxy NGC7314. The source is optical identified with the bright ( m(B)=14.40) galaxy ESO533-G50 at redshift z=0.026. The source is clearly de tected at energies above 4 keV but barely visible below this energy implyin g heavy obscuration intrinsic to the source. Spectral analysis indicates a column density of the order of 2-3 x 10(23) cm(-2) and a power law photon i ndex compatible with values often seen in active galaxies. These X-ray char acteristics suggest a Seyfert 2 classification for 1SAXJ2234.8-2541. Subseq uent spectroscopy of the optical counterpart, ESO533-G50, performed with th e ESO 1.52m telescope at La Silla Observatory, confirms the type 2 nature o f this source and therefore its identification with the X-ray source. We al so report the marginal detection of an iron line centered at 7.29 +/- 0.47 keV and having an equivalent width of 46(-398)(+636), eV; although marginal , this result is indicative of the presence of warm material in the source. If instead the line is associated to cold material, we estimate an upper l imit to its equivalent width of 290 eV. The overall characteristics of 1SAX J2233.8-2541 strongly suggest that the sourer is Compton thin.