Tartarus: Reduced X-ray Data for 611 ASCA AGN Observations

The Tartarus database provides systematically analyzed data from ASCA X-ray telescope observations of active galactic nuclei. It contains results for 611 designated AGN observing sequences, including source and background event files, spectra, response files, images, and light curves. This version 3.1 was created by the Tartarus Team and ingested by NASA HEASARC in August 2005.

Use Cases

• Analyze spectral properties of AGN based on automatically fitted XSPEC results
• Study temporal variability based on the available publishable light curves
• Examine spatial structure and source detection based on the provided images
• Perform custom spectral re-fitting based on the readily available spectra and response files

Strengths

• Covers 611 complete ASCA observing sequences designated as AGN targets
• Includes fully analyzed data for detected targets and upper limits for non-detections
• Uses custom extraction regions for improved background subtraction and reduced contamination

Limitations

• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Version 3.1 is expected to be replaced when the final ASCA calibration is completed

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Tartarus Team

Collection Method

Systematic analysis of all ASCA observing sequences with targets designated as AGN, indicated by a leading '7' in the sequence number

Time Range

Covers the observational period of the ASCA telescope

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 18:17:20.375721; freshness should be verified

Geography

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