X-ray source population study of the starburst galaxy M 83 with XMM-Newton

Aims: We present the results obtained from the analysis of three XMM-Newton observations of M 83. The aims of the paper are studying the X-ray source populations in M 83 and calculating the X-ray luminosity functions of X-ray binaries for different regions of the galaxy.
Methods: We detected 189 sources in the XMM-Newton field of view in the energy range of 0.2-12 keV. We constrained their nature by means of spectral analysis, hardness ratios, studies of the X-ray variability, and cross-correlations with catalogues in X-ray, optical, infrared, and radio wavelengths.
Results: We identified and classified 12 background objects, five foreground stars, two X-ray binaries, one supernova remnant candidate, one super-soft source candidate and one ultra-luminous X-ray source. Among these sources, we classified for the first time three active galactic nuclei (AGN) candidates. We derived X-ray luminosity functions of the X-ray sources in M 83 in the 2-10 keV energy range, within and outside the D₂₅ ellipse, correcting the total X-ray luminosity function for incompleteness and subtracting the AGN contribution. The X-ray luminosity function inside the D₂₅ ellipse is consistent with that previously observed by Chandra. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test shows that the X-ray luminosity function of the outer disc and the AGN luminosity distribution are uncorrelated with a probability of ~99.3%. We also found that the X-ray sources detected outside the D₂₅ ellipse and the uniform spatial distribution of AGNs are spatially uncorrelated with a significance of 99.5%. We interpret these results as an indication that part of the observed X-ray sources are X-ray binaries in the outer disc of M 83.

Based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and NASA.Appendix A is available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgAppendix B is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/553/A7