Stellar x-ray sources in the chandra cosmos survey

Abstract

We present an analysis of the X-ray properties of a sample of solar- and late-type field stars identified in the Chandra Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS), a deep (160 ks) and wide (∼0.9 deg ) extragalactic survey. The sample of 60 sources was identified using both morphological and photometric star/galaxy separation methods. We determine X-ray count rates, extract spectra and light curves, and perform spectral fits to determine fluxes and plasma temperatures. Complementary optical and near-IR photometry is also presented and combined with spectroscopy for 48 of the sources to determine spectral types and distances for the sample. We find distances ranging from 30 pc to ∼12 kpc, including a number of the most distant and highly active stellar X-ray sources ever detected. This stellar sample extends the known coverage of the LX-distance plane to greater distances and higher luminosities, but we do not detect as many intrinsically faint X-ray sources compared to previous surveys. Overall the sample is typically more luminous than the active Sun, representing the high-luminosity end of the disk and halo X-ray luminosity functions. The halo population appears to include both low-activity spectrally hard sources that may be emitting through thermal bremsstrahlung, as well as a number of highly active sources in close binaries.