We observed the X-ray-bright E3 galaxy NGC 1600 and nearby members of the NGC 1600 group with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory ACIS-S3 to study their X-ray properties. Unresolved emission dominates the observation; however, we resolved some of the emission into 71 sources, most of which are low-mass X-ray binaries associated with NGC 1600. Twenty-one of the sources have L_X_>2x10^39^ergs/s (0.3-10.0keV; assuming they are at the distance of NGC 1600), marking them as ultraluminous X-ray point source (ULX) candidates; we expect that only 11+/-2 are unrelated foreground/background sources.
Chandra images of the elliptical galaxy NGC 4261 have revealed an anisotropy in the spatial distribution of the off-nuclear X-ray sources, interpreted by Zezas et al. (2003ApJ...599L..73Z) as evidence of an association with a young stellar population. Our independent analysis of archive X-ray (Chandra) and optical (INT and HST) observations confirms the anisotropy of the X-ray sources but conducts to a different interpretation for their origin.
A Chandra observation of the intermediate-luminosity (M_B_=-20) elliptical galaxy NGC 3379 resolves 75% of the X-ray emission within the central 5kpc into point sources. Spectral analysis of the remaining unresolved emission within the central 770pc indicates that 90% of the emission probably arises from undetected point sources, while 10% arises from thermal emission from kT=0.6keV gas.
I present the analysis results from XMM-Newton observations of the old open stellar cluster NGC 188, which has an age of about 7Gyr and a near solar metallicity. 58 X-ray sources were detected in the field of view of the EPIC MOS and PN cameras, and 46 sources are new X-ray detections. Visible counterparts were found for 20 sources including the variable star WV 28, the W UMa-type binaries V371 Cep and V372 Cep, and the red giant V11. 9 X-ray sources are identified with probable cluster non-members, while 43 X-ray sources are of unknown membership. X-ray emission was detected from 6 stars with high membership probability above a luminosity threshold of 10^30^erg/s.
We study the edge-on galaxy NGC 5775, utilizing a 58.2ks Chandra ACIS-S observation together with complementary Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS, Spitzer IRAC and other multi-wavelength data sets. This edge-on galaxy, with its disc-wide active star formation, is particularly well suited for studying the disc/halo interaction on subgalactic scales. We detect 27 discrete X-ray sources within the D_25_ region of the galaxy, including an ultra-luminous source with a 0.3-7keV luminosity of ~7x10^40^erg/s.
While observational evidence shows that most of the decline in a star's X-ray activity occurs between the age of the Hyades (~8x10^8yr) and that of the Sun, very little is known about the evolution of stellar activity between these ages. To gain information on the typical level of coronal activity at a star's intermediate age, we studied the X-ray emission from stars in the 1.9Gyr old open cluster NGC 752. We analysed a ~140ks Chandraobservation of NGC 752 and a ~50ks XMM-Newtonobservation of the same cluster. We detected 262 X-ray sources in the Chandra data and 145 sources in the XMM-Newton observation. Around 90% of the catalogued cluster members within Chandra's field-of-view are detected in the X-ray. The X-ray luminosity of all observed cluster members (28 stars) and of 11 cluster member candidates was derived.
We examine the X-ray point-source population and 2-10keV luminosity for two galaxies with high star formation rates (SFRs), NGC 4194 and NGC 7541 and combined our results with a sample of galaxies with SFRs above 1M_{sun}_/yr.
We identify 233 X-ray sources, of which 95 are new, in a 222ks exposure of omega Centauri with the Chandra X-ray Observatory's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer detector. The limiting unabsorbed flux in the core is fX(0.5-6.0keV)~=3x10^-16^erg/s/cm^2^ (Lx~=1x10^30^erg/s at 5.2kpc). We estimate that ~60+/-20 of these are cluster members, of which ~30 lie within the core (r_c_=155-arcsec), and another ~30 between 1-2 core radii. We identify four new optical counterparts, for a total of 45 likely identifications. Probable cluster members include 18 cataclysmic variables (CVs) and CV candidates, one quiescent low-mass X-ray binary, four variable stars, and five stars that are either associated with omega Cen's anomalous red giant branch or are sub-subgiants. We estimate that the cluster contains 40+/-10 CVs with Lx>10^31^erg/s, confirming that CVs are underabundant in omega Cen relative to the field. Intrinsic absorption is required to fit X-ray spectra of six of the nine brightest CVs, suggesting magnetic CVs, or high-inclination systems. Though no radio millisecond pulsars (MSPs) are currently known in omega Cen, more than 30 unidentified sources have luminosities and X-ray colours like those of MSPs found in other globular clusters; these could be responsible for the Fermi-detected gamma-ray emission from the cluster. Finally, we identify a CH star as the counterpart to the second brightest X-ray source in the cluster and argue that it is a symbiotic star. This is the first such giant/white dwarf binary to be identified in a globular cluster.
We have studied the X-ray point-source population of the 30 Doradus (30 Dor) star-forming complex in the Large Magellanic Cloud using high spatial resolution X-ray images and spatially resolved spectra obtained with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) on board the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Here we describe the X-ray sources in a 17'x17' field centered on R136, the massive star cluster at the center of the main 30 Dor nebula. We detect 20 of the 32 Wolf-Rayet stars in the ACIS field. The cluster R136 is resolved at the subarcsecond level into almost 100 X-ray sources, including many typical O3-O5 stars, as well as a few bright X-ray sources previously reported.
ROSAT observations found no convincing evidence for X-ray sources located in local dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSph). Now with more sensitive instruments on board Chandra and XMM-Newton we can reach fainter luminosity levels. We report on an observation of the Sagittarius (Sgr) dSph made using Chandra and an observation of the Carina (Car) dSph made using XMM-Newton. Our observations are sensitive to sources with X-ray luminosities in the 0.1-10keV band of ~1x10^32^erg/s and 3x10^34^erg/s for the Sgr and Car fields respectively. We have identified a total of 80 sources in the Sgr field and 53 sources in the Car field. Although the source numbers are roughly consistent with the expected number of background AGN, we found a small fraction of X-ray sources which were soft and could be located in the host dSph. Follow-up optical/IR observations may help to identify their optical counterparts and hence determine their nature.