The soft X-ray point source



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The soft X-ray point source

The successor to the Einstein Observatory for low energy X-ray imaging is the ROSAT satellite. ROSAT observations have detected spatial structure which is associated with the radio source. These results are given elsewhere in this volume by Harris and by Reynolds so the discussion here will be limited to the possible point source associated with the radio core. Harris, Perley & Carilli [11] have taken a 42 ksec ROSAT HRI observation and subtracted a spherically-symmetric modified King model (often used to describe the X-ray surface-brightness distribution of clusters of galaxies). They find a residual point source with possibly some extended emission. This result should be considered preliminary, not least because the central regions of clusters are often not well-described by a modified King law (eg [12]). If there is a point source then it cannot be a continuation of the component discussed in the previous section because no X-rays in the ROSAT energy range will be transmitted through the absorption column measured using Ginga.