Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

This site is currently in beta, and your feedback is helping shape its ongoing development.

Small Magellanic Cloud Wing Survey Chandra X-Ray Point Source Catalog

Published by High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | Metadata Last Checked: February 07, 2026 | Last Modified: 2026-02-03
The authors have detected 523 X-ray sources in a survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) Wing with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. By cross-correlating the X-ray data with optical and near-infrared catalogs, they have found 300 matches. Using a technique that combines X-ray colors and X-ray to optical flux ratios, they have been able to assign preliminary classifications to 265 of the objects. The identifications include 4 pulsars, 1 high-mass X-ray binary (HMXB) candidate, 34 stars and 185 active galactic nuclei (AGN). In addition, the authors have classified 32 sources as hard AGN which are likely absorbed by local gas and dust, and 9 soft AGN whose nature is still unclear. Considering the abundance of HMXBs discovered so far in the Bar of the SMC the number that have been detected in the Wing is low. Observations in the Wing of the SMC were made from 2005 July to 2006 March with Chandra. The survey consisted of 20 fields, with exposure times ranging from 8.6 - 10.3 ks. X-ray parameters for 523 sources detected in the Wing of the SMC with Chandra are presented. For each source equatorial coordinates, positional error, net counts (total counts minus background counts) in the 0.5 - 8.0 keV band, signal-to-noise of the detection and source flux in the 0.5 - 8.0 keV band are given. The median, compressed median and normalized quartile ratio of the photon energy distribution, determined using quantile analysis, are given for sources with three or more counts. For the sources that have optical counterparts the V- and R-band magnitudes, B-V color, X-ray to optical flux ratios based on the V- and R-band magnitudes, and a preliminary classification for the sources are given. This table was created by the HEASARC in June 2008 based on the <a href="https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/ftp/cats/J/MNRAS/383/330">CDS Catalog J/MNRAS/383/330</a> file table2.dat. This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .

Find Related Datasets

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

Complete Metadata

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov