The ROSAT All-Sky Survey Bright Source Catalogue

W. Voges, B. Aschenbach, Th. Boller, H. Bräuninger, U. Briel, W. Burkert, K. Dennerl, J. Englhauser, R. Gruber, F. Haberl, G. Hartner, G. Hasinger, M. Kürster, E. Pfeffermann, W. Pietsch, P. Predehl, C. Rosso, J. Schmitt, J. Trümper, and U. Zimmermann

Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Garching

To be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1996.
The catalogue can be used for scientific purposes as long as the above publication is referenced.


Catalogue Format

Last update: 12-Aug-96

Template:

....+...10....+...20....+...30....+...40....+...50....+...60....+...70....+... ---------------------++---------+---------+---+-----+----+----------+--------- SrcNam R.A. Dec. ?p npedm riv. src-cps ?src-cps ---------------------++---------+---------+---+-----+----+----------+--------- 1RXS J121515.3+874154 183.81375 87.69833 8 _____ __.. 1.247E-01 1.271E-02 80....+...90....+..100....+..110....+..120....+..130....+..140....+..150.. +---------+------+-----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+-----+-------+---- bgr-cpsa exp hr1 ?hr1 hr2 ?hr2 ext extl srcl extr PriFlgE vigf +---------+------+-----+----+-----+----+-----+----+----+-----+-------+---- 7.921E-04 909 -0.18 0.10 -0.15 0.16 9 1 201 300 111111b 0.72 ..+..160....+..170....+..180....+. +------+------+---++-------------+ orgdat moddat ... field-id src# +------+------+---++-------------+ 960531 000000 0 33001001_0028

Description of the columns:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- shortcut | columns | description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- srcnam | 1- 21 | ROSAT All-Sky Survey Catalogue source name A link to a broad band image is provided if this image is available (see 'i'-flag). R.A. | 24- 32 | Right Ascension, equinox 2000.0 [decimal degrees] Dec. | 34- 42 | Declination, equinox 2000.0 [decimal degrees] ?p | 45- 46 | total positional error (including 6" systematic error) [arcsec] npemm | 48- 52 | screening flags 'T' for 'true', 'F' or '_' for 'false'; '.' for 'not used' n: nearby sources affecting SASS flux determination p: possible problem with position determination e: source extended beyond SASS extraction radius d: complex diffuse emission pattern m: source missed by SASS riv? | 54- 57 | 'new data' flags 'T' for 'true', 'F' or '_' for 'false'; '.' for 'not used' r: source counts and extraction radius recalculated i: broad band image available (html link!) v: variability flag (not yet filled) .: dummy flag src-cps | 60- 68 | source countrate in the broad energy band (PHA range 11 - 235), vignetting corrected [counts/sec]. Conversion factors, assuming a photon spectrum which can be modeled by a power law with an index N and no absorption: 1 count/sec = 10.4E-12 erg/cm^2/s for N = -1 1 count/sec = 5.6E-12 erg/cm^2/s for N = -2 1 count/sec = 3.8E-12 erg/cm^2/s for N = -3 ?src-cps | 70- 78 | error of source countrate, vignetting corrected ?src-cps = 0 means: the error has not been determined. [counts/sec] bgrcpsa | 80- 88 | background countrate, vignetting corrected [counts/sec/arcmin**2] exp | 90- 95 | exposure time [sec] hr1 | 97-101 | hardness ratio 1 Definition: hr1 = ( B - A ) / ( B + A ) , where A = countrate in PHA range 11 - 41 B = countrate in PHA range 52 - 201 ?hr1 | 103-106 | error of hardness ratio 1 Note: true error of hr1 is probably bigger if >9.99: set to 9.99 hr2 | 108-112 | hardness ratio 2 Definition: hr2 = ( D - C ) / ( D + C ) , where C = countrate in PHA range 52 - 90 D = countrate in PHA range 91 - 201 ?hr2 | 114-117 | error of hardness ratio 2 Note: true error of hr1 is probably bigger if >9.99: set to 9.99 ext | 119-123 | source extent The amount is specified, by which the source image exceeds the point spread function. [arcsec] extl | 125-128 | likelihood of source extent if >9999: set to 9999 srcl | 130-133 | likelihood of source detection, defined as -ln(P), where P is the probability that the observed distribution of photons originates from a spurious background fluctuation. if >9999: set to 9999 extr | 135-139 | extraction radius if >9999 (Vela SNR!): set to 9999 [arcsec] PriFlg | 141-146 | priority flags Sliding window detection history using either the background map (M) or the local background (B); 0 = no detection, 1 = detection; order of flags: M-broad, L-broad, M-hard, L-hard, M-soft, L-soft E | 147-147 | PHA range with highest detection likelihood A: 11-41, B: 52-201, C: 52-90, D: 91-201 ' ' or 'b' means 'broad' (11-235) vigf | 149-152 | vignetting factor orgdat | 154-159 | date when source was included format: yymmdd; 000000: removed moddat | 161-166 | date when source properties were changed format: yymmdd; 000000: not changed ... | 168-170 | dummy column field-id | 173-180 | identification number of SASS field An overview of the field structure is available at URL http://www.rosat.mpe-garching.mpg.de/survey/rass-bsc/sup/psplit.ps.gz. (mainly for internal use) src# | 182-185 | SASS source number (MASOL number) in SASS field (mainly for internal use) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHA is an acronym for Pulse Height Amplitude.
For some sources not all of the information is available. This is indicated by a value of 0 for the columns
  ?p, src-cps, ?src-cps, bgrcpsa, exp, extl, srcl, extr, priflg, vigf.
The values for the hardness ratios and errors
  hr1, ?hr1, hr2, ?hr2
are not available, if all values are simultaneously at 0.
More information on the ROSAT All-Sky Survey Bright Source Catalogue can be found at URL http://www.rosat.mpe-garching.mpg.de/survey/rass-bsc/ .
Feedback to: survey@rosat.mpe-garching.mpg.de (jer)