Are Compact Obscured Nuclei the Same As Compton Thick AGN?

22 April 2025 Compton-thick active galactic nuclei (CT AGN) are growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs) that are obscured by a significant amount of gas and dust that blocks optical and ultraviolet light, as well as low-energy X-rays. Compact obscured nuclei (CONs) are energetic regions at the centers of some galaxies that are also hidden behind large amounts of gas and dust; however, in CONs we…