High Energy In Flight Calibration sources: Properties and Bibliography
This version is obviously just a beginning. Address suggestions for inclusions,
deletions, re-organizations, etc. to keith_at_milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov
White Dwarves
HZ 43, Sirius B
Notes. Soft (< 0.2 keV) non variable point sources
Beuermann, Burwitz, and Rauch, "Establishing HZ43 A, Sirius B, and RX J185635-3754 as soft X-ray standards: a cross-calibration between the Chandra LETG+HRC-S, the EUVE spectrometer, and the ROSAT PSPC", 2006, A&A, 458, 541. Also astro-ph/0608592
Isolated Neutron Stars
Notes. Faint, Non variable point sources. Emission below 1 keV
RXJ 1856
Burwitz et al. ,
"The thermal radiation of the isolated neutron star RX J1856.5-3754 observed with Chandra and XMM-Newton", 2003, A&A 399, 1109
Haberl
"The Magnificent Seven: Magnetic fields and surface temperature distributions", astro-ph/0609066
Walter et al.,
"Properties of the isolated neutron star RX J185635-3754", 2004, AdvSpR, 33 513
Crab Like Super Nova Remnants
Crab Pulsar and Nebula
Notes. Bright continuum source. 33 ms pulsar. Believed constant on longer time scales. Useful for absolute timing (0.1 msec
level) when radio ephemeris is available
Broad Band Spectrum
Toor and Seward ,
"The Crab Nebula as a calibration source for X-ray astronomy", 1974, AJ, 79, 995
Toor and Seward ,
"Observation of X-rays from the Crab Pulsar", 1977, ApJ 216, 560. pulsed fraction vs energy
Willingale et al.,
"New light on the X-ray spectrum of the Crab Nebula",
2001, A&A, 365, 212. XMM-Newton EPIC MOS
Kirsch et al.,
"Crab: the standard x-ray candle with all (modern) x-ray satellites" 2005, SPIE 5898, 22
Kaastra et al., " Effective Area Calibration of the RGS on XMM-Newton I. X-ray Spectroscopy of the Crab Nebula",
2007, to be submitted after IACHEC (07) to A&A.
Timing
Rots et al.,
"Absolute Timing of the Crab Pulsar with RXTE", 2004, ApJ, 605, L129.
Kuiper et al.,
"Absolute timing with IBIS, SPI and JEM-X aboard INTEGRAL",
astro-ph/0309178, A&A Integral special issue, 2003, 411, 31
Extent and Spatial Variation
Weisskopf et al., "Discovery of Spatial and Spectral Structure in the X-ray Emission from the Crab
Nebula", ApJ 536, L81 (2000).
Mori et al.,
"Spatial Variation of the X-ray spectrum of the Crab Nebula",
ApJ 609, 186
Polarization
Weisskopf et al.,
"A precision measurement of the X-ray polarization of the Crab Nebula without pulsar contamination",
ApJ, 220, 117 (1978)
3C58
Slane et al.,
"New Constraints on Neutron Star Cooling from Chandra Observations of 3C 58" 2002, ApJ, 571, 45
PSR 1821-24
Notes 3 millisecond pulsar with a sharp peak. This is probably the narrowest known X-ray peak, and thus potentially the most precise for timing cross calibrations.
Rots,
"Absolute Time Calibration for the Chandra X-ray Observatory" 2007, Chandra News, 14, 41. Calibration relative to RXTE and radio
PSR 1509-58
Rots et al.,
"Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Absolute Timing Results for the Pulsars B1821-24 and B1509-58", 1998, ApJ, 501, 749 (RXTE/PCA)
Marsden et al. ,"
"The X-Ray Spectrum of the Plerionic System PSR B1509-58/MSH 15-52", 1997, ApJ, 491, 39. (RXTE/PCA, RXTE/HEXTE)
Thermal Super Nova Remnants
Notes provide line rich targets. Pointing and field of view are important considerations
1ES0102
Notes. Non variable line rich source. ~1 arc minute in extent
de Pasquale et al.,
"Cross-calibration of the Chandra/ACIS and XMM/EPIC low-energy response using 1E0102-723", Proceedings of the 2005 Chandra Calibration Workshop
de Pasquale and Plucinsky, Empirical calibration model
Cas-A
Holt et al.,
"ASCA observations of Cassiopeia A", 1994, PASJ, 46, 151 (ASCA SIS)
Willingale et al.,
"X-ray spectral imaging and Doppler mapping of Cassiopeia A" 2002, A&A, 381, 1039 (XMM-Newton EPIC-MOS)
Hwang et al.,
"Bulk X-Ray Doppler Velocities in the Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A" 2001, ApJ, 560, 175 (Chandra ACIS)
G21.5-0.9
Stars
Capella
Keenan et al.,
"Soft X-Ray Emission Lines of Fe XV in Solar Flare Observations and the Chandra Spectrum of Capella", 2006, ApJ, 645, 597. Calculations comapred to "co-added spectrum of Capella obtained with the Chandra satellite, which is probably the highest signal-to-noise ratio observation achieved for a stellar source in the ~25-175 Å soft X-ray region."
AR Lac
Huenemoerder et al.,
"The Coronae of AR Lacertae", 2003, ApJ, 595, 1131
HR 1099
Osten et al.,
"A Multiwavelength Perspective of Flares on HR 1099: 4 Years of Coordinated Campaigns", 2004, ApJS, 153, 317
Brinkman et al.,
"
First light measurements with the XMM-Newton reflection grating spectrometers: Evidence for an inverse first ionisation potential effect and anomalous Ne abundance in the Coronae of HR 1099", 2001, A&A, 365, 324
Algol
Blazars
Notes. Point like continuum sources. Variable. Possible absorption features from IGM
PKS 2155-309
Bright at E < 0.5 keV.
Lamer et al. "ROSAT observations of BL Lacertae objects", 1996, A&A, 311, 384.
Variable
Brinkmann et al. "Multi-wavelength monitoring of the BL Lacertae Object PKS 2155-304 II. The ROSAT Observations", 1994, A&A, 288, 433
Urry et al. "Multiwavelength Monitoring of the BL Lacertae Object PKS 2155-304 in 1994 May. III. Probing the Inner Jet through Multiwavelength Correlations", 1997, ApJ, 486, 799
Absorption features
Nicastro et al. "Chandra Discovery of a Tree in the X-Ray Forest toward PKS 2155-304: The Local Filament?", 2002, ApJ, 573, 157
Results on IGM absorption features are apparently inconsistent between XMM-RGS and Chandra-LETG. Better understanding is partly
a scientific and partly a calibration question, and largely a Con-X or XEUS topic
Broad Band spectrum is curved
Giommi et al. "The complex 0.1-100 keV X-ray spectrum of PKS 2155-304", 1998, A&A, 333, 5
3C 273
Mkn 421
O836+71
Clusters of Galaxies
Perseus Cluster
Abell 2199
Ophiucus Cluster
Cygnus Loop
Notes. Large, line rich source, potentially useful for monitoring contamination or setting
energy scale. Size or remnant, and variation across remnant, imply that using this remnant requires
attention to imaging and pointing capabilities
Miyata et al.,
"Detection of Highly-Ionized Carbon and Nitrogen Emission Lines from the Cygnus Loop Supernova Remnant with the Suzaku Observatory",
2007, PASJ, 59, 163
Leahy,
"X-ray spectrum variations in the south-west Cygnus Loop", 2004, MNRAS, 351, 385 ( Chandra ACIS)