IC 2944/2948: X-Ray Source Catalog from XMM-Newton

368 X-ray sources detected toward the young star clusters IC 2944/2948 in the Centaurus OB2 association. The catalog was created by NASA HEASARC in September 2013 based on XMM-Newton observations, providing positions, count rates, hardness ratios, and probable optical/infrared counterparts. This study contrasts the high-energy properties of massive stars and detects low-mass, pre-main sequence objects.

Use Cases

• Analyzing X-ray emission properties of young star clusters based on count rates and hardness ratios.
• Studying the spatial distribution of X-ray sources around massive stars like HD 101205.
• Comparing high-energy properties of Wolf-Rayet stars based on contrasting brightness and spectral softness.
• Investigating the relationship between X-ray luminosity and bolometric luminosity (log(Lx/Lbol)) for massive stars.
• Identifying probable optical and infrared counterparts for X-ray sources based on offset angular distance.

Strengths

• Contains 368 detected X-ray sources, providing a substantial sample for analysis.
• Observation was 40 ks in duration and unaffected by background flares or source pile-up.
• Catalog includes basic X-ray properties and counterpart information, likely enabling cross-wavelength studies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data from 2013; freshness should be verified for current research needs.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA HEASARC)

Collection Method

Created based on CDS Catalog J/A+A/555/A83 files from XMM-Newton satellite observations.

Time Range

Observation from XMM Newton Rev. 2209; catalog created September 2013.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 17:46:34.037003; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Targets the IC 2944/2948 star clusters within the Centaurus OB2 association.