We present the results of the first {\it XMM-Newton} observation of the
interacting type IIn supernova 1995N, performed in July 2003. We find that the
0.2--10.0 keV unabsorbed flux dropped at a value of ≃1.8×10−13 erg cm−2 s−1, almost one order of magnitude lower than that
of a previous {\it ASCA} observation of January 1998. From all the available
X-ray measurements, an interesting scenario emerges where the X-ray light
emission may be produced by a two-phase (clumpy/smooth) circumstellar medium.
The X-ray spectral analysis shows statistically significant evidence for the
presence of two distinct components, that can be modeled with emission from
optically thin, thermal plasmas at different temperatures. The exponent of the
ejecta density distribution inferred from these temperatures is n≃6.4.
From the fluxes of the two spectral components we derive an estimate of the
mass loss rate of the supernova progenitor, M˙∼2×10−4M⊙​yr−1, at the upper end of the interval exhibited by red
super-giants. Coordinated optical and infrared observations allow us to
reconstruct the simultaneous infrared to X-ray flux distribution of SN 1995N.
We find that, at ∼ 9 years after explosion, the direct X-ray thermal
emission due to the wind/ejecta interaction is ∼5 times larger than the
total reprocessed IR/optical flux.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, MNRAS, in pres