Einstein IPC Sources Catalog

This database contains information on sources detected with the Einstein Observatory Image Proportional Counter (IPC), assembled for the Einstein Observatory Catalog (EOSCAT) of IPC X-ray Sources (2E) and containing over 4000 unique sources (with 6539 separate detections) which were detected with the IPC at a level of significance greater than 3.5 sigma in the broad band (0.2-3.5 keV). This database also contains the list of 277 sources which are known not to have been included in the Einstein Observatory Source Catalog (flagged by supplement = 'Y' in this database). Those which were not detected during the standard Rev1B processing were typically discovered upon visual inspection of the contour diagrams in the Catalog. Others were detected with Rev1B standard processing but left out of the Catalog because of short exposure times or other reasons listed in the "missed_code" field. 258 of these 277 additional sources have no valid signal to noise ratio (SNR) estimate (values of 0.0), while 3 others have SNR values of 3.2 and 3.3, notice. This IPC database is based on NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) tables that were created in 1991 and 1993 and were themselves derived from tables provided by Dr. D. E. Harris of the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard-Smithsonian. The HEASARC has a similar catalog in its database called EINSTEIN2E which comprises a more recent version of the IPC source list as archived at the NASA Astronomical Data Center (ADC) and the Center for Astronomical Data at Strasbourg (CDS). EINSTEIN2E has 868 fewer detections than the IPC catalog, notice, for reasons that the HEASARC is unsure of, but that may imply that some of the detections in IPC are not reliable. We have retained the IPC database for reasons of completeness, but caution that detections listed here which have no counterpart in the EINSTEIN2E Catalog should be treated with caution. This IPC database was recreated by the HEASARC in December 2000 to replace a previous version in which we discovered some transcription errors. It is based on NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS) tables that were created in 1991 and 1993 and were themselves derived from tables provided by Dr. D. E. Harris of the Center for Astrophysics at Harvard-Smithsonian: <pre> The Einstein IPC Source List From EOSCAT (ADS Creation Date: 26-Dec-1990; ADS Last Revision Date: 04-Nov-1993), D.E. Harris, CfA The EOSCAT List of Missed IPC Sources (ADS Creation Date: 26-Oct-1990; ADS Last Revision Date: 17-Sep-1991), D.E. Harris, CfA </pre> This is a service provided by NASA HEASARC .

Data and Resources

Additional Info

Field Value
Maintainer HEASARC Help Desk
Last Updated September 14, 2026, 22:46 (UTC)
Created April 1, 2025, 13:29 (UTC)
accessLevel public
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harvest_source_title Science Discovery Engine
identifier ivo://nasa.heasarc/ipc
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license https://www.usa.gov/government-works
modified 2026-09-07T22:15:59Z
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publisher High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center
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