1. Field content and target identification
20th Survey Science Centre Consortium meeting
Field content and target identification
Ann-Marie Stobbart
Anja Schroeder, Mike Watson and the XMM-Newton Survey Science Centre

2. 2XMMp: selecting observations
2XMMp contains a subset of the total number of observations to be included in the final 2XMM catalogue.
Subset selected via visual screening of each observation + sources + automatic flags
 Quick field identifications based on the number of ‘spurious’ detections i.e. those NOT automatically flagged as spurious
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

3. 2XMMp: selecting observations
Observations classified into one of four quality flags (OBSFLAG=0-3)
 ‘Good’ observations (OBSFLAG=0-2) included
i.e. those with no or few obvious spurious detections (83% public observations with EPIC data)
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

4. Observation classes: OBSFLAG=0
52% : no obvious spurious detections (may include one or two non-obvious ones)
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

5. Observation classes: OBSFLAG=1
30% : one or more spurious detections (but usually < 8 )
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

6. Observation classes: OBSFLAG=2
0.9% : class 1 + missed detections in a group of very densely positioned sources
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

7. Observation classes: OBSFLAG=3
17% : not accepted for inclusion in the catalogue
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

8. Field identification
2XMMp screening effectively independent of target itself
2XMM  Serendipitous catalogue
Aim for 2XMM is to classify XMM-Newton fields by the type of target within them
But, is the target:
a single object ?
a whole field ?
extended ?
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

9. Field identification 5 proposed field classifications: Point source
Extended source
Small extended
Large extended
Field (e.g. The Lockman Hole)
Not detected (e.g. OM calibration field)
Unknown
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

10. Field ID : Large extended
SIMBAD
PROPOSAL
NED
RA_PNT
DEC_PNT
XSA
NGC 55 (WEST): : X-ray background and surveys
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

11. Field ID : Large extended
SIMBAD
PROPOSAL
NED
RA_PNT
DEC_PNT
XSA
NGC 4258: : AGN, QSOs, BL-Lacs and XRB
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

12. Target identification
Aim to flag the target of the observation
Difficulties, e.g. for galaxies  no source to flag unambiguously
Simplest solution  flag the targets from the ‘point source’ field classification
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart

13. Summary
2XMMp screening: quick field identifications  83% public observations included
Aim for 2XMM: field and target identifications  work in progress
Difficulties:
Finding a position that best identifies the target in order to classify the field
finding an unambiguous target position in order to flag the target
14th November 2006
Ann-Marie Stobbart