Chandra X-Ray Sources in the LALA Cetus Field

The 174 ks Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer exposure of the Large Area Lyman Alpha Survey (LALA) Cetus field is the second of the two deep Chandra images on LALA fields. In this paper we present the Chandra X-ray sources detected in the Cetus field, along with an analysis of X-ray source counts, stacked X-ray spectrum, and optical identifications. A total of 188 X-ray sources were detected: 174 in the 0.5-7.0 keV band, 154 in the 0.5-2.0 keV band, and 113 in the 2.0-7.0 keV band. The X-ray source counts were derived and compared with LALA field (172 ks exposure). Interestingly, we find consistent hard-band X-ray source density, but (36+/-12)% higher soft-band X-ray source density in Cetus field. The weighted stacked spectrum of the detected X-ray sources can be fitted by a power law with photon index Γ=1.55. Based on the weighted stacked spectrum, we find that the resolved fraction of the X-ray background drops from (72+/-1)% at 0.5-1.0 keV to (63+/-4)% at 6.0-8.0 keV. The unresolved spectrum can be fitted by a power law over the range 0.5-7 keV, with a photon index Γ=1.22. We also present optical counterparts for 154 of the X-ray sources, down to a limiting magnitude of r^'=25.9 (Vega), using a deep r'-band image obtained with the MMT.

Optical Observations reported here were obtained at the MMT Observatory, a joint facility of the University of Arizona and the Smithsonian Institution.