An astrophysics data program investigation of HEAO/EXOSAT locations and identifications of bright hard x-ray sources

摘要

The purpose of this research was to identify bright (greater than about 10(exp -11) ergs cm(exp -2) s(exp -l), 2-10 keV) hard X-ray sources discovered in the all-sky scanning surveys. The specific technique used here was the X-ray association of serendipitous sources found in pointed telescope missions with those in the NRL HEAO-1 catalog, using the A-3 modulation collimator positions to establish the connection. The results yielded objects which are scientifically important in their own right and helped build the A-3 catalog as a well defined, complete sample, analogous to the 3CR catalog in radio astronomy. In addition we proved that the masked portion of the Einstein IPC fields included a significant content of serendipitious X-ray sources. We recommend that future X-ray telescope missions be required to preserve X-ray events from the entire field of view and to make these events available to the observer (at least as an option which the observer may choose).