Chandra Deep Field South 2-Megasecond: X-Ray Point Source Catalog

NASA's Chandra Deep Field South 2-Megasecond Catalog contains point-source data from one of the most sensitive X-ray surveys ever performed. The table includes 578 X-ray sources, with 462 in the main catalog, covering an area of ~436 arcmin² and providing optical/infrared photometry and spectroscopic redshifts for 224 sources. The data was last updated on 2026-03-13.

Use Cases

• Classifying X-ray source types (AGN vs. starburst galaxies) based on X-ray-to-optical flux ratios mentioned in the description.
• Comparing cumulative number counts and source populations with the Chandra Deep Field-North survey.
• Analyzing source positional accuracy and sensitivity limits across different X-ray energy bands.
• Matching X-ray sources to optical and infrared counterparts for multi-wavelength studies.

Strengths

• Contains 578 X-ray point sources from a ~2 Ms exposure, one of the most sensitive surveys.
• Provides median positional uncertainty of ~0.36 arcseconds for source locations.
• Includes optical R-band counterparts and spectroscopic redshifts for 224 sources.
• Offers on-axis sensitivity limits of ~1.9e-17 and ~1.3e-16 erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ for soft and hard bands.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect observational bias inherent to the specific deep field survey area.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Observational data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory, with source detection via centroid and matched-filter techniques.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:20:01.525680; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Covers the Chandra Deep Field-South region (~436 arcmin²).