An X-ray Imaging Study of the Stellar Population in RCW49
Masahiro Tsujimoto (Pennsylvania State University) , Feigelson, E. D., Townsley, L. K., Broos, P. B., Getman, K. V., Wang, J. Garmire, G. P. (Penn State), Baba, D. (Nagoya), Nagayama, T. (Kyoto), Tamura, M. (NAOJ), Churchwell, E. B. (Wisconsin)
We present the results of a high-resolution X-ray imaging study of the stellar population in the Galactic massive star-forming region RCW49 and its central OB association Westerlund 2. We obtained a 40 ks X-ray image of a 17'x17' field using the Chandra X-ray Observatory and deep NIR images using the Infrared Survey Facility in a concentric 8'3x8'3 region. We detected 468 X-ray sources and identified optical, NIR, and Spitzer Space Telescope MIR counterparts for 379 of them. The unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity of the X-ray image, enhanced by optical and infrared imaging data, yielded the following results: (1) The central OB association Westerlund 2 is resolved for the first time in the X-ray band. X-ray emission is detected from all spectroscopically-identified early-type stars in this region. (2) Most (86