Predicted source counts in the Chandra Multi-Wavelength Project (ChaMP)

John P. Grimes, Paul J. Green (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), Smita Mathur (Ohio State University), Dong-Woo Kim, Terrance Gaetz, Vinay L. Kashyap, Belinda J. Wilkes (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

Abstract

The Chandra X-ray Observatory's unprecedented  0.5 arcsec angular resolution and sensitivity are ideal for the discovery and study of faint X-ray sources. The Chandra Multiwavelength Project (ChaMP) augments Chandra data with optical imaging and spectroscopy to fully investigate the properties of serendipitous sources in Chandra's 17*17 arcminute field of view.

We use analytical models of the Chandra mirror and ACIS instrument performance to find the source sensitivity limits as a function of off-axis angle for a given source powerlaw index and column density. By assuming a logN-logS and using a subset of Chandra Cycle 1 and 2 fields selected for the ChaMP, we then calculate an expected number of X-ray source detections and derive the expected sky coverage as a function of flux sensitivity and source spectrum.

Using an L-z relation we also calculate an expected redshift distribution assuming all sources are AGN. Finally we examine how changing the X-ray source properties will affect the derived logN-logS relations.

CATEGORY: EXTRAGALACTIC DIFFUSE EMISSION AND SURVEYS