Chandra Multi-wavelength Plane (ChaMPlane) Survey: Design and Initial Results

Abstract

The Chandra Multiwavength Plane (ChaMPlane) Survey of the galactic plane incorporates serendipitous sources from selected Chandra pointings in or near the galactic plane (b < 12deg; >20 ksec; lack of bright diffuse or point sources) to measure or constrain the luminosity function of low-luminosity accretion sources in the Galaxy. The primary goal is to detect and identify accreting white dwarfs (cataclysmic variables, with space density still uncertain by a factor of >10-100), neutron stars and black holes (quiescent low mass X-ray binaries) to constrain their space densities and thus origin and evolution. Secondary objectives are to identify Be stars in high mass X-ray binaries and constrain their space densities, and to survey the H-R diagram for stellar coronal sources. A parallel optical imaging under the NOAO Long Term Survey program provides deep optical images using the Mosaic imager on the CTIO and KPNO 4-m telescopes. The 36arcmin X 36arcmin optical images (Halpha, R, V and I) cover ~5X the area of each enclosed Chandra ACIS FOV, providing an extended survey of emission line objects for comparison with Chandra. Spectroscopic followup of optical counterparts is then conducted, thus far with WIYN and Magellan. The X-ray preliminary results from both the Chandra and optical surveys will be presented, including logN-logS vs. galactic position (l,b) and optical idenifications.