We present BeppoSAX observations of 6 “ type-2 ” LINER and “ transition ” galaxies ( NGC3379 , NGC3627 , NGC4125 , NGC4374 , NGC5195 and NGC5879 ) from the Ho et al .
( 1997 ) spectroscopic sample of nearby galaxies .
All objects are detected in the 2-10 keV band , having luminosities in the range L _ { 2 - 10 keV } \sim 1 \times 10 ^ { 39 } -1 \times 10 ^ { 40 } erg~ { } s ^ { -1 } .
The PDS upper limits above 10 keV place constraints on the presence of a heavily obscured AGN in the case of NGC3379 and NGC4125 .
No significant variability is detected in any of the objects .
The spectra are described in most cases by a simple power-law model with a spectral slope of \Gamma \sim 1.7 - 2.5 while there is evidence neither for a significant absorption above the Galactic nor for an FeK _ { \alpha } emission line .
Therefore , based on the spectral properties alone , it is difficult to differentiate between a low-luminosity AGN or a star-forming galaxy scenario .
However , imaging observations of NGC3627 and NGC5195 with Chandra ACIS-S reveal very weak nuclear sources while most of the X-ray flux originates either in off-nuclear point sources or in diffuse emission .
The above clearly argue in favour of a star-forming origin for the bulk of the X-ray emission , at least in the above two sources .