X-ray emission mechanisms of LINERs

We present here an analysis of the X-ray properties of a sample of LINER ga laxies observed with the ROSAT PSPC and HRI instruments. A spatial analysis shows that the bulk of the X-ray emission is consistent with arising from a point source; some extended emission appears at weak emission levels. The X-ray spectra are formally best described by a powerlaw with photon index Gamma(x) approximate to -2 or thermal emission from a Raymond-Smith plasma with highly subsolar abundances (Z less than or equal to 0.1). Several emis sion mechanisms that might contribute to the observed X-ray spectra are dis cussed. In particular, we take the very subsolar abundances derived from Ra ymond-Smith fits as an indication of a more complex emission mechanism, lik e the presence of a second hard component or plasma out of equilibrium.