IC 1396N: Chandra X-Ray Catalog of 117 Sources in a Star-Forming Region

117 X-ray sources detected by the Chandra Observatory in the IC 1396N cometary globule on 2004 October 16-17. The catalog, created by NASA HEASARC in 2009, identifies 25 sources associated with young stars formed within the globule and infers a total T Tauri population of about 30 stars. The spatial and age distribution of sources supports models of triggered star formation by radiation-driven implosion.

Use Cases

• Analyzing spatial distributions of X-ray sources to test star formation models based on the described elongated pattern and age gradient.
• Studying the demographics of young stellar populations based on the classification of sources into Class III stars, T Tauri stars, and protostars.
• Correlating X-ray source properties with infrared photometry from 2MASS and Spitzer mentioned in the description.
• Investigating star formation efficiency in globules based on the inferred 1%-4% efficiency for this region.

Strengths

• 117 precisely detected X-ray sources from a 30 ks Chandra observation with no background flaring.
• Includes cross-matched infrared photometry from 2MASS and Spitzer for source classification.
• Observation details are precisely documented, including aim point, roll angle, and exposure time.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a single observation in 2004; temporal coverage is limited.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA HEASARC)

Collection Method

Observation with the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) detector on board the Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

Time Range

2004-10-16 to 2004-10-17 (observation date)

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:25:03.940909; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Celestial coordinates: R.A. = 21h40m42.4s, Dec. = +58d16'09.7" (J2000.0), covering about 17' x 17' on the sky.