ROSAT observations of NGC 4631.
Abstract
We report on a 31.4ks ROSAT HRI observation of NGC 4631. The good spatial resolution of the HRI together with the reanalysed PSPC data leads to a detection of 7 point sources within the D_25_ ellipse of the galaxy. With the HRI we were able to resolve previously reported X-ray emission of the HI supershell no.2 into (at least) two point like sources (L_x_=1.7 and 0.3x10^39^erg/s). A bright point source at the position of the HI supershell no. 1 is time variable and therefore could either be an X-ray binary in the spiral arms (L_x_> 5x10^38^erg/s) or a background AGN. Hot gas in the disk and halo of the galaxy is visible in the X-ray images. The HRI deduced diffuse X-ray emission within the D_25_ ellipse of the galaxy (S_x_=8.7x10^37^erg/s/arcmin^2^) and the halo (S_x_=2.1x10^37^erg/s/arcmin^2^) are comparable with the PSPC results. An arc of diffuse emission in the adaptive filtered HRI map extends from the nuclear region into the south-eastern HI arm of the galaxy and may represent an UV emission feature.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- July 1996
- Bibcode:
- 1996A&A...311...35V
- Keywords:
-
- GALAXIES: INDIVIDUAL: NGC 4631;
- X-RAYS: GALAXIES;
- GALAXIES: ISM;
- HALOS