First Results from the XMM-Newton Slew Survey

Abstract

Abstract We have attempted to analyse all the available data taken by XMM-Newton as it slews between targets. This slew survey, the resultant source catalogue, and the analysis procedures used are described in an accompanying paper. In this letter we present the initial science results from the survey. To date, detailed source searching has been performed in three X-ray bands (soft, hard, and total) in the EPIC-pn 0.2–12keV band over $\sim 6300 \,\mathrm{deg}^2$ ($\sim 15\%$ of the sky), and approximately 4000 X-ray sources have been detected ($\sim 55\%$ of which have IDs). A great variety of sources are seen, including AGN, galaxies, clusters and groups, active stars, SNRs, low–and high-mass XRBs, and white dwarfs. In particular, as this survey constitutes the deepest ever hard-band 2–12keV all-sky survey, a large number of hard sources are detected. Furthermore, the great sensitivity and low background of the EPIC-pn camera are especially suited to emission from extended sources, and interesting spatial structure is observed in many supernova remnants and clusters of galaxies. The instrument is very adept at mapping large areas of the X-ray sky. Also, as the slew survey is well matched to the ROSAT all-sky survey, long-term variability studies are possible, and a number of extremely variable X-ray sources, some possibly due to the tidal disruption of stars by central supermassive black holes, have been discovered.