Strong X-Ray Absorption in a Broad Absorption Line Quasar: PHL 5200

We present ASCA observations of the z=1.98 prototype broad absorption line quasar (BALQSO): PHL 5200. The source detected in both SIS and GIS. A power-law spectrum (alpha(sub epsilon)=0.6(sup 0.9)(sub -0.6)) with large intrinsic absorption (N(sub H)=1.3(sup 2.3)(sub -1.1)x10(exp 23)cm(exp -2)) best describes the spectrum. Excess column density over the local Galactic value is required at the 99% confidence level. This detection suggests that although BALQSOs are X-ray-quiet, it is strong absorption in the BAL region that makes them appear faint to low-energy X-ray experiments. The required intrinsic absorbing column density is 2-3 orders of magnitude larger than earlier estimates of column densities in BALQSOs. This implies that the BAL systems are much more highly ionized than was previously thought.