M 87 Chandra X-Ray Point Source Catalog: 174 Sources in a Giant Elliptical Galaxy

154 ks of deep X-ray observations from the Chandra ACIS instrument in 2000 and 2002 were used to identify 174 X-ray point sources in the giant elliptical galaxy M 87. The catalog, created by NASA HEASARC in 2007, contains ~150 likely low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) and was cross-referenced with Hubble Space Telescope data to study their connection to globular clusters.

Use Cases

• Identify and catalog low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) based on X-ray point source detections.
• Examine the correlation between LMXBs and globular clusters using cross-matched optical data.
• Study the spatial distribution and luminosity function of X-ray sources in a massive elliptical galaxy.
• Analyze the fraction of globular clusters hosting LMXBs (f_X = 3.6% +/- 0.5%) as mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Deep observations with a total exposure time of 154 ks, described as the deepest X-ray observations of M 87 as of 2004.
• Catalog contains 174 identified X-ray point sources, with ~150 likely classified as low-mass X-ray binaries.
• Data combined with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images from the ACS Virgo Cluster Survey for multi-wavelength analysis.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data processing used different methods for the 2000 (graded mode, no CTI correction) and 2002 observations.

Provenance

Source

NASA HEASARC, based on CDS table J/ApJ/613/279.

Collection Method

Observations from the Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) instrument, processed with CIAO software.

Time Range

Observations from 2000 July 29 and 2002 July 5-6.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:58:39.520631; freshness should be verified.

Geography

The giant elliptical galaxy M 87 (NGC 4486) near the dynamical center of the Virgo Cluster.