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Description
This table contains a source catalog based on XMM-Newton observations of the bright Local Group spiral galaxy M 31. In an analysis of XMM archival observations of M 31, the authors studied the population of X-ray sources (X-ray binaries, supernova remnants) down to a 0.2-4.5 keV luminosity of 4.4 x 10<sup>34</sup> erg/s. EPIC hardness ratios and optical and radio information were used to distinguish between different source classes. The survey detected 856 sources in an area of 1.24 square degrees. The authors correlated their sources with earlier M 31 X-ray catalogs and used information from optical, infra-red and radio wavelengths. As sources within M 31, they detected 21 supernova remnants (SNR) and 23 SNR candidates, 18 supersoft source (SSS) candidates, 7 X-ray binaries (XRBs) and 9 XRB candidates, as well as 27 globular cluster sources (GlC) and 10 GlC candidates, which most likely are low mass XRBs within the GlC. Comparison to earlier X-ray surveys revealed transients not detected with XMM-Newton, which add to the number of M 31 XRBs. There are 567 sources classified as hard, which might either be XRBs or Crab-like SNRs in M 31 or background AGN. The number of 44 SNRs and candidates more than doubles the X-ray-detected SNRs. 22 sources are new SNR candidates in M 31 based on X-ray selection criteria. Another SNR candidate might be the first plerion detected outside the Galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds. On the other hand, six sources are foreground stars and 90 are foreground star candidates, one is a BL Lac-type active galactic nucleus (AGN) and 36 are AGN candidates, one source coincides with the Local Group galaxy M 32, one with a background galaxy cluster (GCl) and another is a GCl candidate, all sources which are not connected with M31. In a second paper, the authors presented an extension to the original 2005 XMM-Newton X-ray source catalog of M 31 which contained 39 newly found sources. These sources have been added to the original 856 sources to make a combined catalog of 895 X-ray sources which is contained herein. This table was originally created by the HEASARC in May 2005 based on the CDS table J/A+A/434/483/ file table2.dat (sources numbered 1 to 856). It was updated by the HEASARC in June 2008 by adding the 39 sources from the CDS table J/A+A/480/599/ file table3.dat (sources numbered 857 to 895). This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .
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