XMM/WFI survey release of X-ray data

26 June 2005

Technical Summary


CURRENT RELEASE
Region ..................... Selected XMM Serendipitous Survey fields
Number of Fields ........... 12
Version .................... 1.0
Total Data Volume .......... 5.5 Mb
Release Date ............... June 2005
Release prepared by ........ AIP/SSC node (A. Schwope, V. Hambaryan, G. Lamer)

PRODUCTS
Product Type ............... Stacked images of multiple and source lists per individual XMM-Newton observation(s)
Data Volume ................ 5.5 Mb

PREVIOUS RELEASE
None

PRODUCTS IN PREVIOUS RELEASE
None

Abstract

This release accompanies the paper J.P. Dietrich et al: ESO Imaging Survey: Optical follow-up of 12 selected XMM fields submitted to Astron. Astrophys. This survey was based on an idea submitted by the XMM-SSC to ESO's Survey Working Group (SWG), who turned it into a proposal submitted to the ESO-OPC. The optical part of the XMM survey (administered by the ESO Imaging Survey (EIS) and the Public Survey Group (PSG) teams) consists of follow-up optical observations of the XMM-Newton Serendipitous Sky Survey (XSSS) using the ESO Wide Field Imager (WFI) at the ESO/MPG 2.2m telescope at the La Silla Observatory. This survey seeks to obtain WFI images in B-, V-, R- and I- passbands (for minimum spectral discrimination and photometric redshift determination) of XMM fields publicly available in the XMM archive. The fields were selected and prioritized by a collaboration of interested parties from the XMM Survey Science Centre (SSC), the Bonn group (led by P. Schneider) and an appointed committee of the SWG. Four of the original 12 fields proposed for and observed in P70/71 are fields at low galactic latitude, the remaining fields, including the three fields observed as carry-over targets in P72, are at high galactic latitude.

The present release consists of an analysis 28 XMM-Newton observations performed on 12 fields (see Table 2 of the paper by Dietrich et al. for a distribution among the fields). The XMM-Newton science archive (XSA) lists even more observations in the mentioned fields. These were not considered here due to unsuitable camera settings or non-availability of data (January 2005).

For more information about the terminology and conventions used for X-ray analysis refer to the XMM-Newton home page. The data products were created with the latest official release of the Science Analysis Software (SAS version 6.1) for XMM-Newton.

Contents of this Release

The present release consists of stacked images and source lists. Data analysis was performed with the public SAS release v6.1 with some AIP add-ons for the source detection. Stacked images were created for the the XID- and a broad spectral band covering the energy ranges 0.5-4.5 keV and 0.1-12.0 keV, respectively. The contributing observations are listed in Table 2 of Dietrich et al. Before stacking the images were pipeline processed and filtered for good time intervals. No background subtraction took place, since the discrimination between source and background is particularly difficult in X-rays in the galactic plane. Colour images were  created making use of photons in the XID-band only. Red, green and blue channels comprise the energy ranges 0.5-1.0 keV, 1.0-2.0 keV, and 2.0-4.5 keV, respectively. Weights to the sub-images were given in a manner that a typical extragalactic X-ray source with a power law X-ray spectrum (photon index 1.5, absorption column density nH = 10^20 1/cm^2) would have equal photon numbers in all three bands.

Exposure times per X-ray image
T_s,pn: scheduled exposure time for pn detector (units: seconds)
T_e,pn: effective exposure for pn-detector after background filtering
T_e,m1: same for mos1 detector
T_e,m2: same for mos2 detector

Field
ObsID
T_s,pn
T_e,pn
T_e,m1
T_e,m2
XMM-01
0111150201
0111150101
123534
113000
117052
117052
XMM-02
0164560501
0156960201
0156960401
112341
75100
82212
82212
XMM-03
0112630101
36428
9500
12844
12844
XMM-04
0094800101
41021
26400
31980
31980
XMM-05
0125320701
0125320401
0125320501
0153950101
0133120301
0133120401
118409
55900
80756
80756
XMM-06
0111160201
49616
34500
48204
48204
XMM-07
0106660501
0106660401
0106660101
0106660201
0106660601
236013
202100
255684
255684
XMM-08
0110980201
58237
54600
57876
57876
XMM-09
0060370201
41273
38100
40560
40560
XMM-10
0012440301
35366
29000
34372
34372
XMM-11
0112970601
0112971601
0112972101
0111350301
0111350101
124816
43500
44564
43732
XMM-12
0109110101
76625
71000
75036
75036


X-ray source lists for point-like X-ray  sources were produced for 8 fields (10 observations) at high-galactic latitude. Source detection was performed as a three-stage process using eboxdetect in local and in map mode followed by a multi-PSF fit with emldetect for all sources present in the initial source lists. The multi-PSF fit invoked here works on 15 input images, i.e. 5 per EPIC camera. The five energy bands used per camera cover the ranges: 1) 0.1 -- 0.5\,keV; 2) 0.5 -- 1.0\,keV; 3) 1.0 -- 2.0\,keV; 4) 2.0 -- 4.5\,keV; and 5) 4.5 -- 0.5\,keV.

The source detection scheme used here is very similar to the pipeline implemented for the production of the second XMM-Newton catalog of X-ray sources (2XMM) to be published by the XMM-SOC later in 2005 (Watson et al., in preparation).  This approach is superior to that used for the creation of source lists which are currently stored in the XMM-Newton Science Archive since it makes use of X-ray photons from all cameras simultaneously. It also distinguishes between point-like and extended X-ray sources.

We publish the source lists in two flavours, the original source list resulting from the emldetect detection run labeled F and a compressed list with corrected coordinates  labeled C. While the latter contains one row per X-ray source, the former contains 19 lines per detected source, one all_EPIC summary and each 6 lines per EPIC-camera. The six rows per camera correspond to the five detection bands and a camera summary in the first line. The rows in the C-lists just contain the EPIC summary information.

Positions in the C-lists were corrected with the SAS-task eposcorr and one of the EIS optical catalogues. With this step remaining attitude uncertainties are removed from the source lists in statisctical manner. Corrections to the original lists are typically small but significant. Only the list for XMM-03 was corrected by a large amount of 13 arcsec. The eposcorr parameters are listed in the following table.

Field
ObsID
RA offset (arcsec)
DEC offset (arcsec)
ROTANG
likelihood
#matches
XMM-03
0112630101
11.9
-6.8
0.02
18
164
XMM-04
0094800101
0.66
0.44
-0.08
61
584
XMM-05
0125320401
-0.44
-2.22
-0.055
51
458
XMM-06
0111160201
0.00
0.22
-0.068
54
602
XMM-07
0106660101
-0.90
-1.34
-0.060
67
693
XMM-07
0106660201
-1.34
-1.34
-0.045
49
527
XMM-07
0106660601
-1.16
-1.78
-0.064
68
750
XMM-08
0110980201
0.44
-0.66
-0.051
52
429
XMM-09

0.00
-0.44
-0.019
54
418
XMM-10
0012440301
-0.44
0.88
-0.08
47
401



Columns in the X-ray source lists

 Col.#   1:ML_ID_SRC        Unit:                 Format:I11    I*4	Sequence number in eml-list
 Col.#   2:BOX_ID_SRC       Unit:                 Format:I11    I*4 Sequence number in ebox-list
 Col.#   3:ID_INST          Unit:                 Format:I11    I*4 0-all EPIC, 1-pn, 2-mos1, 3-mos2
 Col.#   4:ID_BAND          Unit:                 Format:I11    I*4 0-sum, 1..5 according to band definition
 Col.#   5:ID_CLUSTER       Unit:                 Format:I11    I*4 Group number of simultaneously fitted sources
 Col.#   6:SCTS             Unit:counts           Format:E15.5  R*4 Total summed source counts
 Col.#   7:SCTS_ERR         Unit:counts           Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #6
 Col.#   8:X_IMA            Unit:image pixels     Format:E15.5  R*4 Position of source in image coordinates
 Col.#   9:X_IMA_ERR        Unit:image pixels     Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #8
 Col.#  10:Y_IMA            Unit:image pixels     Format:E15.5  R*4 Position of source in image coordinates
 Col.#  11:Y_IMA_ERR        Unit:image pixels     Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #10
 Col.#  12:EXT              Unit:image pixels     Format:E15.5  R*4 Extent of source
 Col.#  13:EXT_ERR          Unit:image pixels     Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #12
 Col.#  14:DET_ML           Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Detection likelihood
 Col.#  15:EXT_ML           Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Extent likelihood
 Col.#  16:BG_MAP           Unit:counts/pixel     Format:E15.5  R*4 Background at source position
 Col.#  17:EXP_MAP          Unit:seconds          Format:E15.5  R*4 Vignettinmg corrected effective exposure at source position (PSF-weighted)
 Col.#  18:FLUX             Unit:cgs              Format:E15.5  R*4 Source flux assuming ECFs for typical extragalctic source
 Col.#  19:FLUX_ERR         Unit:cgs              Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #18
 Col.#  20:RATE             Unit:counts/s         Format:E15.5  R*4 Count rate
 Col.#  21:RATE_ERR         Unit:counts/s         Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #20
 Col.#  22:RA               Unit:deg              Format:E15.5  R*8 Right ascension of source
 Col.#  23:DEC              Unit:deg              Format:E15.5  R*8 Declination of source
 Col.#  24:RADEC_ERR        Unit:arcsec           Format:E15.5  R*4 Positional uncertainty (statistical)
 Col.#  25:LII              Unit:deg              Format:E15.5  R*8 Galactic longitude
 Col.#  26:BII              Unit:deg              Format:E15.5  R*8 Galactic latitude
 Col.#  27:RAWX             Unit:raw pixels       Format:I11    I*4 Source position X in detector coordinates
 Col.#  28:RAWY             Unit:raw pixels       Format:I11    I*4 Source position Y in detector coordinates
Col.#  29:CCDNR            Unit:                 Format:I11    I*4 Number of CCD where source was detected
 Col.#  30:HR1              Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Hardness ratio between band 1 and 2
 Col.#  31:HR1_ERR          Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #30
 Col.#  32:HR2              Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Hardness ratio between band 2 and 3
 Col.#  33:HR2_ERR          Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #32
 Col.#  34:HR3              Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Hardness ratio between band 3 and 4
 Col.#  35:HR3_ERR          Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #34
 Col.#  36:HR4              Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Hardness ratio between band 4 and 5
 Col.#  37:HR4_ERR          Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Error of #36
 Col.#  38:CUTRAD           Unit:pixels           Format:E15.5  R*4 Image cut-out radius for fitting
 Col.#  39:MASKFRAC         Unit:pixels           Format:E15.5  R*4 Fraction of PSF-coverage (subtracting dead pixels etc)
 Col.#  40:EEF              Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Energy encircled fraction (fraction of MASKFRAC within CUTRAD)
 Col.#  41:VIGNETTING       Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Vignetting
 Col.#  42:ONTIME           Unit:                 Format:E15.5  R*4 Raw integration time on ccd CCDNR
 Col.#  43:DIST_NN          Unit:arcsec           Format:E15.5  R*4 Distance to nearest neighbour
 Col.#  44:FLAG             Unit:                 Format:A12    C*12 not used

Applies only to the eposcorr corrected source lists
Col.# 45:RA_CORR Unit:deg Format:E15.5 R*8 Corrected right ascension
Col.# 46:DEC_CORR Unit:deg Format:E15.5 R*8 Corrected declination
Col.# 47:LII_CORR Unit:deg Format:E15.5 R*8 Corrected galactic longitude
Col.# 48:BII_CORR Unit:deg Format:E15.5 R*8 Corrected galactic latitude



Image Product Calibration

Astrometry: The statistical positional uncertainty of the X-ray sources is typically better than 2 arcsec (see Fig.9 of Dietrich et al.). There is always a remaining systematical uncertainty due to the attitude solution of the spacecraft of the same order. The latter can be removed if the true source positions are known. The SAS-routine eposcorr computes a translational shift and a rotation angle by correlating the X-ray source list with an input catalogue. In the pipeline processed data for the XSA correlation is performed with the USNO-A2 catalogue. With the now available much deeper WFI-images the number of positive correlations is much larger and the achieved solution more reliable. After correction with eposcorr the error budget of X-ray sources should be dominated by their statistical uncertainties only.

Fluxes: The fluxes given in the source lists are based on ECFs (energy conversion factors) suitable for a typical extragalactic X-ray source with a power law photon spectrum (hardness ratio HR1=, HR2=, HR3=). The fluxes for sources with deviating hardness ratios are therefore somehow arbitrary.

Comparison to Previous Release(s) 

All data products released here are based on public XMM-Newton data and publicly available software. Previous releases of the individual data happened via the XSA web-pages. Data products in the XSA are based on the then available software versions, i.e. they are in some parts outdated and they ar not the same for all contributing observations to the XMM-EIS survey. Homogeneity of the data products with the most up-to-date software is the main driver of the current release, which may be regarded as a precursor to 2XMM catalogue. 

Data Quality Assessment

The results  of the source detection process are visualised on images in TIFF format. All detected point sources with detml=6 are marked with white circles, the extended sources are marked with green circles. No further screening and grading of the source lists and detection images took place.

Remarks on Individual Products

No source lists were produced for the galactic plane fields. For XMM09 the created source list contained many spurious sources due to remaining calibration uncertainties in the pipeline processed images and was not considered further.

Next Release(s)

Anticipated future releases include:



Last update: June 29, 2005
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