NGC 3115 Chandra X-Ray Point Source Catalog with 482 Detections

482 X-ray point sources were detected in the lenticular galaxy NGC 3115 using 1.1 megaseconds of Chandra observatory data. The catalog, produced by NASA, includes 136 candidate low-mass X-ray binaries in the field and 49 in globular clusters, with luminosities ranging from 10^36 to 10^39 erg s^-1. Observations were conducted in three epochs: 2001, 2010, and 2012.

Use Cases

• Classifying low-mass X-ray binary spectral states based on luminosity and photon index relationships.
• Analyzing long-term variability of X-ray sources, including 13 transient candidates.
• Comparing spectral evolution of extragalactic sources with Galactic neutron star LMXBs.
• Identifying potential black hole X-ray binaries based on significantly softer spectral properties.

Strengths

• Contains 482 point sources detected above a 2-sigma threshold from a deep 1.1 megasecond Chandra observation.
• Includes detailed classification of sources into categories like neutron star LMXBs and potential black hole binaries.
• Analysis spans three observational epochs (2001, 2010, 2012), providing temporal context.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data gathered from 11 Chandra ACIS imaging spectrometer observations.

Time Range

Observations from 2001, 2010, and 2012.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:54:13.941192; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Point sources in the nearby lenticular galaxy NGC 3115.