NGC 4278: Chandra X-Ray Point Source Catalog with 236 Detected Sources

236 discrete X-ray sources were detected within the globular cluster-rich elliptical galaxy NGC 4278, using six Chandra ACIS-S observations totaling 458 ks of co-added exposure. The catalog, created by NASA, lists properties for these sources, which range in luminosity from 3.5e36 to ~2e40 erg s^-1 and include a central LINER nucleus. The data reveals 103 sources exhibiting long-term variability and 39 sources coincident with globular clusters.

Use Cases

• Classifying X-ray source types based on luminosity ranges and spectral colors mentioned in the description.
• Studying long-term variability in accreting compact objects based on the 103 identified variable sources.
• Investigating the connection between globular clusters and high-luminosity X-ray sources, referencing the 39 coincident sources.
• Identifying transient candidate behavior from the three confirmed and three possible transients noted.
• Estimating background source contamination using the log N-log S relation, which suggests 29 background objects.

Strengths

• Deep observational data from six separate Chandra pointings totaling 458 ks of cleaned exposure time.
• Catalog contains 236 detected sources with quantified X-ray luminosity ranges and variability information.
• Includes cross-matching with optical data, identifying 39 sources coincident with globular clusters.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The table does not contain X-ray properties from the six individual observations, only the co-added master list.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Observations from the Chandra X-ray Observatory ACIS-S instrument across six pointings.

Time Range

Observations conducted between February 2005 and April 2007.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:46:35.920865; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Targets the elliptical galaxy NGC 4278.