We present a Chandra X-ray observation of the X-ray bright E2 elliptical galaxy NGC 4649. In addition to bright diffuse emission, we resolve 165 discrete sources, most of which are presumably low-mass X-ray binaries. As found in previous studies, the luminosity function of the resolved sources is well-fitted by a broken power law. In NGC 4697 and NGC 1553, the break luminosity was comparable to the Eddington luminosity of a 1.4M_{sun}_ neutron star.
We used the Chandra X-Ray Observatory ACIS-S3 to image the X-ray-faint elliptical galaxy NGC 4365 and lenticular galaxy NGC 4382. The observations resolve much of the X-ray emission into 99 and 58 sources, respectively, most of which are low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) associated with each of the galaxies. Within one effective radius of NGC 4365, about 45% of the counts are resolved into sources, 30% are attributed to unresolved LMXBs, and 25% are attributed to diffuse gas. Within two effective radii of NGC 4382, about 22% of the counts are resolved into sources, 33% are attributed to unresolved LMXBs, and 45% are attributed to diffuse gas. We identify 18 out of the 37 X-ray sources in a central field in NGC 4365 with globular clusters.
We present comprehensive X-ray point source catalogs of NGC55, NGC2403, and NGC4214 as part of the Chandra Local Volume Survey. The combined archival observations have effective exposure times of 56.5ks, 190ks, and 79ks for NGC55, NGC2403, and NGC4214, respectively. When combined with our published catalogs for NGC300 and NGC404, our survey contains 629 X-ray sources total down to a limiting unabsorbed luminosity of ~5x10^35^erg/s in the 0.35-8keV band in each of the five galaxies. We present X-ray hardness ratios, spectral analysis, radial source distributions, and an analysis of the temporal variability for the X-ray sources detected at high significance. To constrain the nature of each X-ray source, we carried out cross-correlations with multi-wavelength data sets. We searched overlapping Hubble Space Telescope observations for optical counterparts to our X-ray detections to provide preliminary classifications for each X-ray source as a likely X-ray binary, background active galactic nucleus, supernova remnant, or foreground star.
We present a comprehensive X-ray point-source catalog of NGC 404 obtained as part of the Chandra Local Volume Survey. A new 97ks Chandra ACIS-S observation of NGC 404 was combined with archival observations for a total exposure of ~123ks. Our survey yields 74 highly significant X-ray point sources and is sensitive to a limiting unabsorbed luminosity of ~6x10^35^erg/s in the 0.35-8keV band. To constrain the nature of each X-ray source, cross-correlations with multi-wavelength data were generated. We searched overlapping Hubble Space Telescope observations for optical counterparts to our X-ray detections, but find only two X-ray sources with candidate optical counterparts. We find 21 likely low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), although this number is a lower limit due to the difficulties in separating LMXBs from background active galactic nuclei. The X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) in both the soft and hard energy bands are presented. The XLFs in the soft band (0.5-2keV) and the hard band (2-8keV) have a limiting luminosity at the 90% completeness limit of 10^35^erg/s and 10^36^erg/s, respectively, significantly lower than previous X-ray studies of NGC 404. We find the XLFs to be consistent with those of other X-ray populations dominated by LMXBs. However, the number of luminous (>10^37^erg/s) X-ray sources per unit stellar mass in NGC 404 is lower than is observed for other galaxies. The relative lack of luminous XRBs may be due to a population of LMXBs with main-sequence companions formed during an epoch of elevated star formation ~0.5Gyr ago.
This table contains the redshift catalog for the X-ray sources detected in the Chandra Lockman Area North Survey (CLANS). The redshifts for the CLANS field are all new. For fluxes above 10<sup>-14</sup> ergs cm<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (2-8 keV) the authors have redshifts for 76% of the sources in the CLANS, CLASXS, and CDF-N surveys. They extend the redshift information for the full sample using photometric redshifts. The goal of the OPTX Project is to use these three surveys, which are among the most spectroscopically complete surveys to date, to analyze the effect of spectral type on the shape and evolution of the X-ray luminosity functions and to compare the optical spectral types with the X-ray spectral properties. The optical and infrared photometric catalog for the CLANS X-ray sources is presented here (see the CLANS Browse table for the X-ray information). The CLANS and CLASXS surveys bridge the gap between the ultra-deep pencil-beam surveys, such as the CDFs, and the shallower, very large-area surveys. As a result, they probe the X-ray sources that contribute the bulk of the 2-8 keV X-ray background and cover the flux range of the observed break in the log N - log S distribution. This table was created by the HEASARC in December 2008 based on the electronic version of Table 11 from the paper which was obtained from the ApJ web site. This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .
Chandra Lockman Area North Survey (CLANS) X-Ray Source Catalog
Short Name:
CLANS
Date:
02 May 2025
Publisher:
NASA/GSFC HEASARC
Description:
This table contains the catalogs for the X-ray sources detected in the Chandra Lockman Area North Survey (CLANS). (The information on the optical and infrared counterparts to these sources is contained in the CLANSOID table.) The nine ACIS-I fields which constitute the CLANS cover a solid angle of ~0.6 deg<sup>2</sup> and reach fluxes of 7 x 10<sup>-16</sup> ergs cm<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (0.5-2 keV) and 3.5 x 10<sup>-15</sup> ergs cm<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (2-8 keV). The authors find a total of 761 X-ray point sources. The CLANS and CLASXS surveys bridge the gap between the ultra-deep pencil-beam surveys, such as the CDFs, and the shallower, very large-area surveys. As a result, they probe the X-ray sources that contribute the bulk of the 2-8 keV X-ray background and cover the flux range of the observed break in the log N-log S distribution. CLANS consists of nine separate 70 ks Chandra ACIS-I exposures centered at J2000.0 RA and Dec of (10 46,+59 01) (see Table 2 of the reference paper for the full observational details) which were combined to create an 0.6 deg<sup>2</sup> image containing 761 sources. The CLANS observations consist of a raster with an ~2 arcminute overlap between contiguous pointings. Following the prescription in Yang et al. (2004, AJ, 128, 1501) for the CLASXS field, the authors merged the nine individual pointing catalogs to create the final CLANS X-ray catalog. For sources with more than one detection in the nine fields, they used the detection from the observation in which the effective area of the source was the largest. This table was created by the HEASARC in December 2008 based on the electronic versions of Tables 4 and 5 from the paper which were obtained from the ApJ web site. This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .
A 50ks Chandra observation of the unidentified TeV source in Cygnus reported by the HEGRA collaboration reveals no obvious diffuse X-ray counterpart. However, 240 point-like X-ray sources are detected within or nearby the extended TeV J2032+4130 source region, of which at least 36 are massive stars and two may be radio emitters. That the HEGRA source is a composite, having as a counterpart the multiple point-like X-ray sources we observe, cannot be ruled out. Indeed, the distribution of point-like X-ray sources appears nonuniform and concentrated broadly within the extent of the TeV source region. We offer a hypothesis for the origin of the very high energy gamma-ray emission in Cyg OB2 based on the local acceleration of TeV-range cosmic rays and the differential distribution of OB versus less massive stars in this association.
We present our long-term Chandra X-ray monitoring data for the gravitationally lensed quasar Q2237+0305 with 20 epochs spanning 10 years. We easily detect microlensing variability between the images in the full (0.2-8keV), soft (0.2-2keV), and hard (2-8keV) bands at very high confidence. We also detect, for the first time, chromatic microlensing differences between the soft and hard X-ray bands. The hard X-ray band is more strongly microlensed than the soft band, suggesting that the corona above the accretion disk thought to generate the X-rays has a non-uniform electron distribution, in which the hotter and more energetic electrons occupy more compact regions surrounding the black holes. Both the hard and soft X-ray bands are more strongly microlensed than the optical (rest-frame UV) emission, indicating that the X-ray emission is more compact than the optical, confirming the microlensing results from other lenses.
Chandra multi-epoch study of the spiral gal. NGC7331
Short Name:
J/ApJ/879/112
Date:
21 Oct 2021
Publisher:
CDS
Description:
X-ray point sources in galaxies are dominated by X-ray binaries (XRBs) that are variables or transients, and whether their variability would alter the X-ray luminosity functions (XLFs) is still in debate. Here we report on NGC 7331 as an example to test this with seven Chandra observations. Their detection limit is 7x10^37^erg/s in the energy range 0.3-8.0keV by assuming a power-law (PL) spectral model with a photon index of 1.7. We detected 55 X-ray sources. Thirteen of them are variables, of which three are transients, and some of the sources possess a bimodal feature in their luminosity-hardness ratio, which is often observed among XRBs. Nine more ultraluminous X-ray sources are found in comparison with previous studies and eight are likely to be low-mass or high-mass XRBs. Twenty-one optical counterpart candidates are found based on the Hubble Space Telescope images, but we cannot rule out the possibility of positional coincidence. The spectral analysis of SN 2014C shows a trend of increasing soft photons and decreasing hydrogen column densities as its outer shell expands. We fit the seven incompleteness-corrected XLFs to both a PL and a PL with an exponential cut-off (PLC) model using the Bayesian method, which is used for the first time in XLF fitting. The hierarchical PLC model can describe the XLF of NGC 7331 best with a slope of ~0.5 and a luminosity cut-off around 8x10^38^erg/s. This study proves that multi-epoch observations decrease the deviation due to the variable luminous sources in XLFs.
Chandra Multiwavelength Plane Survey Optical ID Catalog
Short Name:
CHAMPLANE
Date:
02 May 2025
Publisher:
NASA/GSFC HEASARC
Description:
The authors have carried out optical and X-ray spectral analyses on a sample of 136 candidate optical counterparts of X-ray sources found in five Galactic bulge fields included in their Chandra Multiwavelength Plane (ChaMPlane) Survey. They used a combination of optical spectral fitting and quantile X-ray analysis to obtain the hydrogen column density toward each object, and a three-dimensional dust model of the Galaxy to estimate the most probable distance in each case. They present the discovery of a population of stellar coronal emission sources, likely consisting of pre-main-sequence, young main-sequence, and main-sequence stars, as well as a component of active binaries of RS CVn or BY Dra type. They identify one candidate quiescent low-mass X-ray binary with a sub-giant companion, but note that this object may also be an RS CVn system. They report the discovery of 3 new X-ray-detected cataclysmic variables (CVs) in the direction of the Galactic center (at distances <~2 kpc). This number is in excess of predictions made with a simple CV model based on a local CV space density of <~10<sup>-5</sup> pc<sup>-3</sup>, and a scale height of ~200 pc. They discuss several possible reasons for this observed excess in their paper. This table was created by the HEASARC in October 2008 based on the version of Table 5 from the paper which was obtained from the electronic ApJ web site. This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .
