Cep B/OB3: 431 X-Ray Sources with Optical/IR Counterparts

431 X-ray sources detected by the Chandra Observatory in the Cepheus B star-forming region are cross-matched with optical and infrared counterparts from Spitzer Space Telescope observations. The dataset was created by NASA HEASARC in August 2011 based on catalog data from 2006 and 2007 publications. It focuses on pre-main-sequence stars to study protoplanetary disk evolution and triggered star formation processes.

Use Cases

• Classifying disk-bearing versus diskless pre-main-sequence stars based on infrared excess data.
• Studying sequential triggered star formation processes in the Cepheus B molecular cloud region.
• Cross-matching multi-wavelength astronomical data (X-ray, optical, infrared) for source identification.
• Analyzing the completeness of low-mass star samples in different regions of a star-forming complex.

Strengths

• 431 X-ray sources with identified optical/infrared counterparts provide a multi-wavelength view.
• Observations from two major space telescopes (Chandra and Spitzer) ensure high-quality source detection.
• The combined sample is described as almost complete for stars above 0.5 solar masses outside the cloud.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset does not include the 224 IR-excess objects not detected as X-ray sources, which are listed separately.

Provenance

Source

NASA HEASARC, based on CDS catalog J/ApJ/699/1454 and the HEASARC CEPBOB3CXO table.

Collection Method

X-ray observations from Chandra ACIS (2003) and mid-IR observations from Spitzer IRAC (2007), with cross-matching and analysis described in referenced papers.

Time Range

Observations from 2003 and 2007.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:23:56.497143; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The Cepheus B (Cep B) molecular cloud and the nearby Cep OB3b OB association, within 1 kiloparsec.