The 9-month SWIFT Burst Alert Telescope ( BAT ) catalog provides the first unbiased ( N _ { H } < 10 ^ { 24 } cm ^ { -2 } ) look at local ( < z > = 0.03 ) AGN .
In this paper , we present the collected X-ray properties ( 0.3 – 12 keV ) for the 153 AGN detected .
In addition , we examine the X-ray properties for a complete sample of non-beamed sources , above the Galactic plane ( b \geq 15 ^ { \circ } ) .
Of these , 45 % are best fit by simple power law models while 55 % require the more complex partial covering model .
One of our goals was to determine the fraction of “ hidden ” AGN , which we define as sources with scattering fractions \leq 0.03 and ratios of soft to hard X-ray flux \leq 0.04 .
We found that “ hidden ” AGN constitute a high percentage of the sample ( 24 % ) , proving that they are a very significant portion of local AGN .
Further , we find that the fraction of absorbed sources does increase at lower unabsorbed 2–10 keV luminosities , as well as accretion rates .
This suggests that the unified model requires modification to include luminosity dependence , as suggested by models such as the ’ receding torus ’ model ( Lawrence 1991 ) .
Some of the most interesting results for the BAT AGN sample involve the host galaxy properties .
We found that 33 % are hosted in peculiar/irregular galaxies and only 5/74 hosted in ellipticals .
Further , 54 % are hosted in interacting/merger galaxies .
Finally , we present both the average X-ray spectrum ( 0.1–10 keV ) and \log N - \log S in the 2-10 keV band .
With our average spectrum , we have the remarkable result of reproducing the measured CXB X-ray power law slope of \Gamma \approx 1.4 ( Marshall et al . 1980 ) .
From the \log N - \log S relationship , we show that we are complete to \log S \geq - 11 in the 2–10 keV band .
Below this value , we are missing as many as 3000 sources at \log S = -12 .
Both the collected X-ray properties of our uniform sample and the \log N - \log S relationship will now provide valuable input to X-ray background models for z \approx 0 .