INTEGRAL Reference Catalog: Pre-Launch Bright X-ray and Gamma-ray Sources

1121 previously known bright X-ray and gamma-ray sources compiled before the launch of the INTEGRAL satellite in 2003. The catalog provides source positions, approximate spectral models, expected fluxes, and derived INTEGRAL counting rates for sources brighter than ~1 milliCrab above 3 keV. It is maintained by NASA HEASARC and updated periodically by the INTEGRAL Science Data Center.

Use Cases

• Identifying candidate sources for INTEGRAL observations based on expected flux and counting rates.
• Cross-matching newly discovered sources (e.g., IGR-prefix objects) with known catalog entries.
• Analyzing the population of bright X-ray and gamma-ray sources in the pre-INTEGRAL era.
• Calibrating or validating source detection algorithms for high-energy astronomy missions.

Strengths

• Contains 1121 sources with positions, spectral models, and expected fluxes.
• Periodically updated to include new sources discovered by INTEGRAL itself.
• Originally compiled from several published X-ray and gamma-ray catalogs and recent publications.

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 temporal bias inherent to its 2003 origin and subsequent updates.

Provenance

Source

INTEGRAL Science Data Center (ISDC) and NASA HEASARC.

Collection Method

Compilation of several published X-ray and gamma-ray catalogs and a survey of recent publications.

Time Range

Sources known prior to the 2003 INTEGRAL launch, with subsequent updates.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 16:45:21.627633; freshness should be verified.