No Arabic abstract
We present the first results of the Chandra and optical follow-up observations of hard X-ray sources detected in the ASCA Medium Sensitivity Survey (AMSS). Optical identifications are made for five objects. Three of them show either weak or absent optical narrow emission lines and are at low redshift <z>~0.06. One of them is a broad line object at z=0.910 and one is a z=0.460 object with only narrow lines. All the narrow line objects show strong evidence for absorption in their X-ray spectra. Their line ratios are consistent with a Seyfert II/LINER identification as are the line widths. The three low redshift objects have the colors of normal galaxies and apparently the light is dominated by stars. This could be due to the extinction of the underlying nuclear continuum by the same matter that absorbs X-rays and/or due to the dilution of the central source by starlight. These results suggest that X-ray sources that appear as ``normal galaxies in optical and near-IR bands significantly contribute to the hard X-ray background. This population of objects has a high space density and probably dominates the entire population of active galaxies.
We report optical spectroscopic identifications of 10 hard (2-10 keV) X-ray selected sources discovered by Chandra. The X-ray flux of the sources ranges between 1.5 and 25 x 10-14 cgs, the lower value being 3 times fainter than in previous BeppoSAX and ASCA surveys. Their R band magnitudes are in the range 12.8-22. Six of the Chandra sources are broad line quasars with redshifts between 0.42 and 1.19, while the optical identification of the remaining four is quite varied: two are X-ray obscured, emission line AGN at z=0.272 and z=0.683, one is a starburst galaxy at z=0.016 and one, most unusually, is an apparently normal galaxy at z=0.158. These findings confirm and extend down to fainter X-ray fluxes the BeppoSAX results, in providing samples with a wide range of X-ray and optical properties. The ratio between the soft X-ray and the optical luminosity of the z=0.158 galaxy is a factor at least 30 higher than that of normal galaxies, and similar to those of AGN. The high X-ray luminosity and the lack of optical emission lines suggest an AGN in which either continuum beaming dominates, or emission lines are obscured or not efficiently produced.
The International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL) satellite has detected in excess of 1000 sources in the ~20-100 keV band during its surveys of the sky over the past 17 years. We obtained 5 ks observations of 15 unclassified IGR sources with the Chandra X-ray Observatory in order to localize them, to identify optical/IR counterparts, to measure their soft X-ray spectra, and to classify them. For 10 of the IGR sources, we detect Chandra sources that are likely (or in some cases certain) to be the counterparts. IGR J18007-4146 and IGR J15038-6021 both have Gaia parallax distances, placing them at 2.5+0.5-0.4 and 1.1+1.5-0.4 kpc, respectively. We tentatively classify both of them as intermediate polar-type Cataclysmic Variables. Also, IGR J17508-3219 is likely to be a Galactic source, but it is unclear if it is a Dwarf Nova or another type of transient. For IGR J17118-3155, we provide a Chandra localization, but it is unclear if the source is Galactic or extragalactic. Based on either near-IR/IR colors or the presence of extended near-IR emission, we classify four sources as Active Galactic Nuclei (IGR J16181-5407, IGR J16246-4556, IGR J17096-2527, and IGR J19294+1327), and IGR J20310+3835 and IGR J15541-5613 are AGN candidates. In addition, we identified an AGN in the INTEGRAL error circle of IGR J16120-3543 that is a possible counterpart.
We have conducted low-frequency radio observations with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) of 40 new hard X-ray sources discovered by the INTEGRAL satellite. This survey was conducted in order, to study radio emissions from these sources, to provide precise position and to identify new microquasar candidates. From our observations we find that 24 of the X-ray sources have radio candidates within the INTEGRAL error circle. Based on the radio morphology, variability and information available from different wavelengths, we categorize them as seventeen Galactic sources (4 unresolved, 7 extended, 6 extended sources in diffuse region) and seven extragalactic sources (2 unresolved, 5 extended). Detailed account for seventeen of these sources was presented in earlier paper. Based on the radio data for the remaining sources at 0.61 GHz, and the available information from NVSS, DSS, 2MASS and NED, we have identified possible radio counterparts for the hard X-ray sources. The three unresolved sources, viz IGR J17303$-$0601, IGR J17464$-$3213, and IGR J18406$-$0539 are discussed in detail. These sources have been identified as X-ray binaries with compact central engine and variable in X-ray and in the radio, and are most likely microquasar candidates. The remaining fourteen sources have extended radio morphology and are either diffuse Galactic regions or extragalactic in origin.
The Chandra COSMOS Survey (C-COSMOS) is a large, 1.8 Ms, Chandra program that has imaged the central 0.9 deg^2 of the COSMOS field down to limiting depths of 1.9 10^-16 erg cm^-2 s-1 in the 0.5-2 keV band, 7.3 10^-16 erg cm^-2 s^-1 in the 2-10 keV band, and 5.7 10^-16 erg cm^-2 s-1 in the 0.5-10 keV band. In this paper we report the i, K and 3.6micron identifications of the 1761 X-ray point sources. We use the likelihood ratio technique to derive the association of optical/infrared counterparts for 97% of the X-ray sources. For most of the remaining 3%, the presence of multiple counterparts or the faintness of the possible counterpart prevented a unique association. For only 10 X-ray sources we were not able to associate a counterpart, mostly due to the presence of a very bright field source close by. Only 2 sources are truly empty fields. Making use of the large number of X-ray sources, we update the classic locus of AGN and define a new locus containing 90% of the AGN in the survey with full band luminosity >10^42 erg/s. We present the linear fit between the total i band magnitude and the X-ray flux in the soft and hard band, drawn over 2 orders of magnitude in X-ray flux, obtained using the combined C-COSMOS and XMM-COSMOS samples. We focus on the X-ray to optical flux ratio (X/O) and we test its known correlation with redshift and luminosity, and a recently introduced anti-correlation with the concentration index (C). We find a strong anti-correlation (though the dispersion is of the order of 0.5 dex) between C and X/O, computed in the hard band, and that 90% of the obscured AGN in the sample with morphological information live in galaxies with regular morphology (bulgy and disky/spiral), suggesting that secular processes govern a significant fraction of the BH growth at X-ray luminosities of 10^43- 10^44.5 erg/s.
Here we report on X-ray observations of ten 17-60 keV sources discovered by the INTEGRAL satellite. The primary new information is sub-arcsecond positions obtained by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. In six cases (IGR J17040-4305, IGR J18017-3542, IGR J18112-2641, IGR J18434-0508, IGR J19504+3318, and IGR J20084+3221), a unique Chandra counterpart is identified with a high degree of certainty, and for five of these sources (all but J19504), Gaia distances or proper motions indicate that they are Galactic sources. For four of these, the most likely classifications are that the sources are magnetic Cataclysmic Variables (CVs). J20084 could be either a magnetic CV or a High Mass X-ray Binary. We classify the sixth source (J19504) as a likely Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN). In addition, we find likely Chandra counterparts to IGR J18010-3045 and IGR J19577+3339, and the latter is a bright radio source and probable AGN. The other two sources, IGR J12529-6351 and IGR J18013-3222 do not have likely Chandra counterparts, indicating that they are transient, highly variable, or highly absorbed.