ROSAT Results Archive (SAO) - PSPC

"THE SECOND ROSAT SOURCE CATALOG OF POINTED OBSERVATIONS WITH THE POSITION SENSITIVE PROPORTIONAL COUNTER (ROSPSPC / 2RXP)" (*) contains arcsecond positions and count rates of 100,048 detected sources from 5182 ROSAT PSPC observations covering 17.3% of the sky, including 54,133 high confidence detections and 2637 obvious sources which were not detected by the automated Standard Analysis Software System (SASS).

"THE SECOND ROSAT SOURCE CATALOG OF POINTED OBSERVATIONS WITH THE POSITION SENSITIVE PROPORTIONAL COUNTER WITH FILTER (ROSPSPCF / 2RXF)" (*) contains arcsecond positions and count rates of 1966 detected sources from 258 ROSAT PSPC Filter observations covering 0.15% of the sky, including 704 high confidence detections and 20 obvious sources which were not detected by the SASS.

The catalogs consist of all primary source parameters from the automated detection algorithm employed by the SASS. In addition each observation has been quality checked, both by automatic algorithms and by detailed visual inspection. The results of this quality checking are contained as a set of logical-value flags for each principal source parameter. If a source parameter is suspect, the associated flag is set to "TRUE"; parameters with no obvious problems maintain the default, "FALSE", value.

In addition to the catalog, data products for each screened observation are also available. The PSPC data products include the screened source lists, source spectra, and results from the spectral and variability analysis. The HRI data products include the screened source lists and FITS images.

Detailed information about the catalog and methods of access to the catalog and data products can be obtained from the ROSAT Results Archive web pages in Germany, in the US, and in the UK:

• MPE
• AIP
• NASA/GSFC
• Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO)
• Leicester University

(*) The First ROSAT Source Catalog of Pointed Observations with the PSPC (1RXP) (Voges et al, ROSAT News No. 32, 01-Nov-1994) was based on data processed with revision 0 or 1 of SASS. The current PSPC catalogs are completely based on data processed with revision 2 of SASS; most of the improvements are described in Voges et al, AA 349, 389 (1999). Moreover, a substantial effort has been expended in evaluating the basic source parameters and the resulting source and field flags are an integral part of the second catalog.

Access to the Catalog

• Web-based Access
  • W3BROWSE

  • The MPE ROSAT SOURCE BROWSER

    Users can also query the ROSPSPC using the ROSAT SOURCE BROWSER developed by MPE at http://wave.xray.mpe.mpg.de/rosat/catalogue/source-browser

  • TRUE COLOR IMAGES

    In addition to the source lists, MPE has provided access to RGB images which are 'true color' renditions of each PSPC field (blue for harder sources, red for softer features). An example (Cyg A) is shown here. If you have a specific sequence number, you can access the image at

    ftp://ftp.xray.mpe.mpg.de/rosat/archive/rra/data/p

  • ARNIE

• FTP Access
  • the complete ASCII (gzip 11.9 Mbytes)........ rospspccat.txt.gz
  • the complete ASCII header (18 Kbytes)........ rospspccat-hdr.txt
  • the short version of the ASCII (gzip 5.5 Mbytes)......... rospspccat-short.txt.gz
  • the short version of the ASCII header ( 19 Kbytes )......... rospspccat-short-hdr.txt
  • the complete ASCII, filter (gzip 2.6 Mbytes)........ rospspcfcat.txt.gz
  • the complete ASCII header, filter (18 Kbytes)........... rospspcfcat-hdr.txt
  • the short verision of the ASCII, filter (gzip 82 Kbytes).......... rospspcfcat-short.txt.gz
  • the short verision of the ASCII header, filter (18 Kbytes)........ rospspcfcat-short-hdr.txt