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A. Schwope

Publications and source records attributed to A. Schwope.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS): The X-ray catalog

Context. The eROSITA X-ray telescope on board the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) observatory combines a large field of view and collecting area in the energy range $\sim$0.2 to $\sim$8.0 keV with the capability to perform uniform scanning observations of large sky areas. Aims. SRG/eROSITA performed scanning observations of the $\sim$140 square degrees eROSITA Final Equatorial Depth Survey (eFEDS) field as part of its performance verification phase. The observing time was chosen to slightly exceed the depth of equatorial fields after the completion of the eROSITA all-sky survey. We present a catalog of detected X-ray sources in the eFEDS field providing source positions and extent information, as well as fluxes in multiple energy bands and document a suite of tools and procedures developed for eROSITA data processing and analysis, validated and optimized by the eFEDS work. Methods. A multi-stage source detection procedure was optimized and calibrated by performing realistic simulations of the eROSITA eFEDS observations. We cross-matched the eROSITA eFEDS source catalog with previous XMM-ATLAS observations, confirming excellent agreement of the eROSITA and XMM-ATLAS source fluxes. Result. We present a primary catalog of 27910 X-ray sources, including 542 with significant spatial extent, detected in the 0.2-2.3 keV energy range with detection likelihoods $\ge 6$, corresponding to a (point source) flux limit of $\approx 6.5 \times 10^{-15}$ erg/cm$^2$/s in the 0.5-2.0 keV energy band (80% completeness). A supplementary catalog contains 4774 low-significance source candidates with detection likelihoods between 5 and 6. In addition, a hard band sample of 246 sources detected in the energy range 2.3-5.0 keV above a detection likelihood of 10 is provided. The dedicated data analysis software package, calibration database, and calibrated data products are described in an appendix.

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The eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey (eFEDS): Identification and characterization of the counterparts to the point-like sources

In November 2019, eROSITA on board of SRG observatory started to map the entire sky in X-rays. After the 4-year survey program, it will reach flux limits about 25 times deeper than ROSAT. During the SRG Performance Verification phase, eROSITA observed a contiguous 140 deg$^2$ area of the sky down to the final depth of the eROSITA all-sky survey ("eROSITA Final Equatorial-Depth Survey": eFEDS), with the goal of obtaining a census of the X-ray emitting populations (stars, compact objects, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, AGN) that will be discovered over the entire sky. This paper presents the identification of the counterparts to the point-sources detected in eFEDS in the Main and Hard samples described in Brunner et al 2021, and their multi-wavelength properties, including redshift. For the identification of the counterparts we combined the results from two independent methods (NWAY and ASTROMATCH), trained on the multi-wavelength properties of a sample of 23k XMM-Newton sources detected in the DESI Legacy Imaging Survey DR8. Then spectroscopic redshifts and photometry from ancillary surveys are collated for the computation of photometric redshifts. The eFEDS sources with a reliable counterparts are 24774/27369 (90.5\%) in the Main sample and 231/246 (93.9\%) in the Hard sample, including 2514 (3) sources for which a second counterpart is equally likely. [abridged] This paper is accompanying the eROSITA early data release of all the observations performed during the performance and verification phase. Together with the catalogs of primary and secondary counterparts to the Main and Hard samples of the eFEDS survey this paper releases their multi-wavelength properties and redshifts.

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SRG/eROSITA discovery of 164 s pulsations from the SMC Be/X-ray binary XMMU J010429.4-723136

Context. The Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) hosts many known high-mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), and all but one (SMC X-1) have a Be companion star. Through the calibration and verification phase of eROSITA on board the Spektrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) spacecraft, the Be/X-ray binary XMMU J010429.4-723136 was in the field of view during observations of the supernova remnant, 1E0102.2-7219, used as a calibration standard. Aims. We report timing and spectral analyses of XMMU J010429.4-723136 based on three eROSITA observations of the field, two of which were performed on 2019 November 7-9, with the third on 2020 June 18-19. We also reanalyse the OGLE-IV light curve for that source in order to determine the orbital period. Methods. We performed a Lomb-Scargle periodogram analysis to search for pulsations (from the X-ray data) and for the orbital period (from the OGLE data). X-ray spectral parameters and fluxes were retrieved from the best-fit model. Results. We detect, for the first time, the pulsations of XMMU J010429.4-723136 at a period of ~164 s, and therefore designate the source as SXP 164. From the spectral fitting, we derive a source flux of ~1x10e-12 erg s-1 cm-2 for all three observations, corresponding to a luminosity of ~4x10e35 erg s-1 at the distance of the SMC. Furthermore, reanalysing the OGLE light curve, including the latest observations, we find a significant periodic signal that we believe is likely be the orbital period; at 22.3d, this is shorter than the previously reported values. The Swift/XRT light curve, extracted from two long monitorings of the field and folded at the same period, suggests that a modulation is also present in the X-ray data.

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Exoplanet X-ray irradiation and evaporation rates with eROSITA

High-energy irradiation is a driver for atmospheric evaporation and mass loss in exoplanets. This work is based on data from eROSITA, the soft X-ray instrument aboard SRG (Spectrum Roentgen Gamma) mission, as well as archival data from other missions, we aim to characterise the high-energy environment of known exoplanets and estimate their mass loss rates. We use X-ray source catalogues from eROSITA, XMM-Newton, Chandra and ROSAT to derive X-ray luminosities of exoplanet host stars in the 0.2-2 keV energy band with an underlying coronal, i.e. optically thin thermal spectrum. We present a catalogue of stellar X-ray and EUV luminosities, exoplanetary X-ray and EUV irradiation fluxes and estimated mass loss rates for a total of 287 exoplanets, 96 among them being characterised for the first time from new eROSITA detections. We identify 14 first time X-ray detections of transiting exoplanets that are subject to irradiation levels known to cause observable evaporation signatures in other exoplanets, which makes them suitable targets for follow-up observations.

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SRGA J124404.1-632232/SRGU J124403.8-632231: a new X-ray pulsar discovered in the all-sky survey by SRG

Ongoing all-sky surveys by the the eROSITA and the Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC telescopes on-board the Spectrum Roentgen Gamma (SRG) mission have already revealed over a million of X-ray sources. One of them, SRGA J124404.1-632232/SRGU J124403.8-632231, was detected as a new source in the third (of the planned eight) consecutive X-ray surveys by ART-XC. Based on the properties of the identified optical counterpart it was classified as a candidate X-ray binary (XRB). We report on the follow-up observations of this source with Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift), and the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), which allowed us to unambiguously confirm the initial identification and establish SRGU J124403.8-632231 as a new X-ray pulsar with a spin period of ~538 s and a Be-star companion, making it one of the first Galactic X-ray pulsars discovered by SRG.

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The XMM-SERVS survey: XMM-Newton point-source catalogs for the W-CDF-S and ELAIS-S1 fields

We present the X-ray point-source catalogs in two of the XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (XMM-SERVS) fields, W-CDF-S (4.6 deg$^2$) and ELAIS-S1 (3.2 deg$^2$), aiming to fill the gap between deep pencil-beam X-ray surveys and shallow X-ray surveys over large areas. The W-CDF-S and ELAIS-S1 regions were targeted with 2.3 Ms and 1.0 Ms of XMM-Newton observations, respectively; 1.8 Ms and 0.9 Ms exposures remain after flare filtering. The survey in W-CDF-S has a flux limit of 1.0 $\times$ 10$^{-14}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ over 90% of its area in the 0.5-10 keV band; 4053 sources are detected in total. The survey in ELAIS-S1 has a flux limit of 1.3 $\times$ 10$^{-14}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ over 90% of its area in the 0.5-10 keV band; 2630 sources are detected in total. Reliable optical-to-IR multiwavelength counterpart candidates are identified for $\approx$ 89% of the sources in W-CDF-S and $\approx$ 87% of the sources in ELAIS-S1. 3186 sources in W-CDF-S and 1985 sources in ELAIS-S1 are classified as AGNs. We also provide photometric redshifts for X-ray sources; $\approx$ 84% of the 3319/2001 sources in W-CDF-S/ELAIS-S1 with optical-to-NIR forced photometry available have either spectroscopic redshifts or high-quality photometric redshifts. The completion of the XMM-Newton observations in the W-CDF-S and ELAIS-S1 fields marks the end of the XMM-SERVS survey data gathering. The $\approx$ 12,000 point-like X-ray sources detected in the whole $\approx$ 13 deg$^2$ XMM-SERVS survey will benefit future large-sample AGN studies.

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Gaia Photometric Science Alerts

Since July 2014, the Gaia mission has been engaged in a high-spatial-resolution, time-resolved, precise, accurate astrometric, and photometric survey of the entire sky. Aims: We present the Gaia Science Alerts project, which has been in operation since 1 June 2016. We describe the system which has been developed to enable the discovery and publication of transient photometric events as seen by Gaia. Methods: We outline the data handling, timings, and performances, and we describe the transient detection algorithms and filtering procedures needed to manage the high false alarm rate. We identify two classes of events: (1) sources which are new to Gaia and (2) Gaia sources which have undergone a significant brightening or fading. Validation of the Gaia transit astrometry and photometry was performed, followed by testing of the source environment to minimise contamination from Solar System objects, bright stars, and fainter near-neighbours. Results: We show that the Gaia Science Alerts project suffers from very low contamination, that is there are very few false-positives. We find that the external completeness for supernovae, $C_E=0.46$, is dominated by the Gaia scanning law and the requirement of detections from both fields-of-view. Where we have two or more scans the internal completeness is $C_I=0.79$ at 3 arcsec or larger from the centres of galaxies, but it drops closer in, especially within 1 arcsec. Conclusions: The per-transit photometry for Gaia transients is precise to 1 per cent at $G=13$, and 3 per cent at $G=19$. The per-transit astrometry is accurate to 55 milliarcseconds when compared to Gaia DR2. The Gaia Science Alerts project is one of the most homogeneous and productive transient surveys in operation, and it is the only survey which covers the whole sky at high spatial resolution (subarcsecond), including the Galactic plane and bulge.

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X-ray Quasi-Periodic Eruptions from two previously quiescent galaxies

Quasi-Periodic Eruptions (QPEs) are extreme high-amplitude bursts of X-ray radiation recurring every few hours and originating near the central supermassive black holes in galactic nuclei. It is currently unknown what triggers these events, how long they last and how they are connected to the physical properties of the inner accretion flows. Previously, only two such sources were known, found either serendipitously or in archival data, with emission lines in their optical spectra classifying their nuclei as hosting an actively accreting supermassive black hole. Here we present the detection of QPEs in two further galaxies, obtained with a blind and systematic search over half of the X-ray sky. The optical spectra of these galaxies show no signature of black hole activity, indicating that a pre-existing accretion flow typical of active nuclei is not required to trigger these events. Indeed, the periods, amplitudes and profiles of the newly discovered QPEs are inconsistent with current models that invoke radiation-pressure driven accretion disk instabilities. Instead, QPEs might be driven by an orbiting compact object. Furthermore, their observed properties require the mass of the secondary object to be much smaller than the main body and future X-ray observations may constrain possible changes in the period due to orbital evolution. This scenario could make QPEs a viable candidate for the electromagnetic counterparts of the so-called extreme mass ratio inspirals, with considerable implications for multi-messenger astrophysics and cosmology.

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Neglected X-ray discovered polars: III. RX J0154.0-5947, RX J0600.5-2709, RX J0859.1+0537, RX J0953.1+1458, and RX J1002.2-1925

We report results on the ROSAT-discovered noneclipsing short-period polars RX J0154.0-5947, RX J0600.5-2709, RX J0859.1+0537, RX J0953.1+1458, and RX J1002.2-1925 collected over 30 years. We present accurate linear orbital ephemerides that allow a correct phasing of data taken decades apart. Three of the systems show cyclotron and Zeeman lines that yield magnetic field strengths of 36 MG, 19 MG, and 33 MG for the last three targets, respectively. RX J0154.0-5947, RX J0859.1+0537, and RX J1002.2-1925 show evidence for part-time accretion at both magnetic poles, while RX J0953.1+1458 is a polar with a stable one-pole geometry. RX J1002.2-1925 shows large variations in the shapes of its light curves that we associate with an unstable accretion geometry. Nevertheless, it appears to be synchronized. We determined the bolometric soft and hard X-ray fluxes and the luminosities at the Gaia distances of the five stars. Combined with estimates of the cyclotron luminosities, we derived high-state accretion rates that range from $\dot M = 2.9 \times 10^{-11}$ $M_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$ to $9.7 \times 10^{-11}$ $M_{\odot}$yr$^{-1}$ for white dwarf masses between 0.61 and 0.82 $M_\odot$, in agreement with predictions based on the observed effective temperatures of white dwarfs in polars and the theory of compressional heating. Our analysis lends support to the hypothesis that different mean accretion rates appply for the subgroups of short-period polars and nonmagnetic cataclysmic variables.

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The eROSITA X-ray telescope on SRG

eROSITA (extended ROentgen Survey with an Imaging Telescope Array) is the primary instrument on the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma (SRG) mission, which was successfully launched on July 13, 2019, from the Baikonour cosmodrome. After the commissioning of the instrument and a subsequent calibration and performance verification phase, eROSITA started a survey of the entire sky on December 13, 2019. By the end of 2023, eight complete scans of the celestial sphere will have been performed, each lasting six months. At the end of this program, the eROSITA all-sky survey in the soft X-ray band (0.2--2.3\,keV) will be about 25 times more sensitive than the ROSAT All-Sky Survey, while in the hard band (2.3--8\,keV) it will provide the first ever true imaging survey of the sky. The eROSITA design driving science is the detection of large samples of galaxy clusters up to redshifts $z>1$ in order to study the large-scale structure of the universe and test cosmological models including Dark Energy. In addition, eROSITA is expected to yield a sample of a few million AGNs, including obscured objects, revolutionizing our view of the evolution of supermassive black holes. The survey will also provide new insights into a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including X-ray binaries, active stars, and diffuse emission within the Galaxy. Results from early observations, some of which are presented here, confirm that the performance of the instrument is able to fulfil its scientific promise. With this paper, we aim to give a concise description of the instrument, its performance as measured on ground, its operation in space, and also the first results from in-orbit measurements.

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Modeling of 35-day superorbital cycle of $B$ and $V$ light curves of IMXB HZ Her/Her X-1

The X-ray binary Her X-1 consists of an accreting neutron star and the optical component HZ Her. The 35-day X-ray superorbital variability of this system is known since its discovery in 1972 by the Uhuru satellite and is believed to be caused by forced precession of a warped accretion disk tilted to the orbital plane. We argue that the observed features of the 35-day optical variability of HZ Her can be explained by free precession of the neutron star with a period close to that of the forced disk. The model parameters include a) the X-ray luminosity of the neutron star; b) the optical flux from the accretion disk; c) the tilt of the inner and outer edges of the accretion disk. A possible synchronization mechanism based on the coupling between the neutron star free precession and the dynamical action of non-stationary gas streams is discussed.

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The XMM-Newton serendipitous survey IX. The fourth XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue

Sky surveys produce enormous quantities of data on extensive regions of the sky. The easiest way to access this information is through catalogues of standardised data products. {\em XMM-Newton} has been surveying the sky in the X-ray, ultra-violet, and optical bands for 20 years. The {\em XMM-Newton} Survey Science Centre has been producing standardised data products and catalogues to facilitate access to the serendipitous X-ray sky. Using improved calibration and enhanced software, we re-reduced all of the 14041 {\em XMM-Newton} X-ray observations, of which 11204 observations contained data with at least one detection and with these we created a new, high quality version of the {\em XMM-Newton} serendipitous source catalogue, 4XMM-DR9. 4XMM-DR9 contains 810795 detections down to a detection significance of 3 $σ$, of which 550124 are unique sources, which cover 1152 degrees$^{2}$ (2.85\%) of the sky. Filtering 4XMM-DR9 to retain only the cleanest sources with at least a 5 $σ$ detection significance leaves 433612 detections. Of these detections, 99.6\% have no pileup. Furthermore, 336 columns of information on each detection are provided, along with images. The quality of the source detection is shown to have improved significantly with respect to previous versions of the catalogues. Spectra and lightcurves are also made available for more than 288000 of the brightest sources (36\% of all detections).

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The final SDSS-IV/SPIDERS X-ray point source spectroscopic catalogue

We look to provide a detailed description of the SPectroscopic IDentification of ERosita Sources (SPIDERS) survey, an SDSS-IV programme aimed at obtaining spectroscopic classification and redshift measurements for complete samples of sufficiently bright X-ray sources. We describe the SPIDERS X-ray Point Source Spectroscopic Catalogue, considering its store of 11,092 observed spectra drawn from a parent sample of 14,759 ROSAT and XMM sources over an area of 5,129 deg$^2$ covered in SDSS-IV by the eBOSS survey. This programme represents the largest systematic spectroscopic observation of an X-ray selected sample. A total of 10,970 (98.9\%) of the observed objects are classified and 10,849 (97.8\%) have secure redshifts. The majority of the spectra (10,070 objects) are active galactic nuclei (AGN), 522 are cluster galaxies, and 294 are stars. The observed AGN redshift distribution is in good agreement with simulations based on empirical models for AGN activation and duty cycle. Forming composite spectra of type 1 AGN as a function of the mass and accretion rate of their black holes reveals systematic differences in the H-beta emission line profiles. This study paves the way for systematic spectroscopic observations of sources that are potentially to be discovered in the upcoming eROSITA survey over a large section of the sky.

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Neglected X-ray discovered polars: II: The peculiar eclipsing binary HY Eridani

We report on the X-ray observations of the eclipsing polar HY Eri (RX J0501-0359), along with its photometric, spectrophotometric, and spectropolarimetric optical variations, collected over 30 years. With an orbital period of 2.855 h, HY Eri falls near the upper edge of the 2-3 h period gap. After 2011, the system went into a prolonged low state, continuing to accrete at a low level. We present an accurate alias-free long-term orbital ephemeris and report a highly significant period change by 10 ms that took place over the time interval from 2011 to 2018. We acquired a high-quality eclipse spectrum that shows the secondary star as a dM5-6 dwarf at a distance $d = 1050 \pm 110$ pc. Based on phase-resolved cyclotron and Zeeman spectroscopy, we identify the white dwarf (WD) in HY Eri as a two-pole accretor with nearly opposite accretion spots of 28 and 30 MG. The Zeeman analysis of the low state spectrum reveals a complex magnetic field structure, which we fit by a multipole model. We detected narrow emission lines from the irradiated face of the secondary star, of which Mg I $λ5170$ with a radial velocity amplitude of $K_2' = 139 \pm 10$ km/s (90% confidence) tracks the secondary more reliably than the narrow H$α$ line. Based on the combined dynamical analysis and spectroscopic measurement of the angular radius of the WD, we obtain a primary mass of $M_1 = 0.42 \pm 0.05$ $M_\odot$ (90% confidence errors), identifying it as a probable He WD or hybrid HeCO WD. The secondary is a main sequence star of $M_2 = 0.24 \pm 0.04$ $M_\odot$ that seems to be slightly inflated. The large distance of HY Eri and the lack of similar systems suggest a very low space density of polars with low-mass primary. According to current theory, these systems are destroyed by induced runaway mass transfer, suggesting that HY Eri may be doomed to destruction.

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4MOST Scientific Operations

The 4MOST instrument is a multi-object spectrograph that will address Galactic and extragalactic science cases simultaneously by observing targets from a large number of different surveys within each science exposure. This parallel mode of operation and the survey nature of 4MOST require some distinct 4MOST-specific operational features within the overall operations model of ESO. The main feature is that the 4MOST Consortium will deliver, not only the instrument, but also contractual services to the user community, which is why 4MOST is also described as a facility. This white paper concentrates on information particularly useful to answering the forthcoming Call for Letters of Intent.

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4MOST Consortium Survey 3: Milky Way Disc and Bulge Low-Resolution Survey (4MIDABLE-LR)

The mechanisms of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way are encoded in the orbits, chemistry and ages of its stars. With the 4MOST MIlky way Disk And BuLgE Low-Resolution Survey (4MIDABLE-LR) we aim to study kinematic and chemical substructures in the Milky Way disc and bulge region with samples of unprecedented size out to larger distances and greater precision than conceivable with Gaia alone or any other ongoing or planned survey. Gaia gives us the unique opportunity for target selection based almost entirely on parallax and magnitude range, hence increasing the efficiency in sampling larger Milky Way volumes with well-defined and effective selection functions. Our main goal is to provide a detailed chrono-chemo-kinematical extended map of our Galaxy and the largest Gaia follow-up down to $G = 19$ magnitudes (Vega). The complex nature of the disc components (for example, large target densities and highly structured extinction distribution in the Milky Way bulge and disc area), prompted us to develop a survey strategy with five main sub-surveys that are tailored to answer the still open questions about the assembly and evolution of our Galaxy, while taking full advantage of the Gaia data.

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4MOST Consortium Survey 6: Active Galactic Nuclei

X-ray and mid-infrared emission are signposts of the accretion of matter onto the supermassive black holes that reside at the centres of most galaxies. As a major step towards understanding accreting supermassive black holes and their role in the evolution of galaxies, we will use the 4MOST multi-object spectrograph to provide a highly complete census of active galactic nuclei over a large fraction of the extragalactic sky observed in X-rays by eROSITA that is visible to 4MOST. We will systematically follow up all eROSITA point-like extragalactic X-ray sources (mostly active galactic nuclei), and complement them with a heavily obscured active galactic nuclei selection approach using mid-infrared data from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The X-ray and mid-infrared flux limits of eROSITA and WISE are well matched to the spectroscopic capabilities of a 4-metre-class telescope, allowing us to reach completeness levels of ~80-90% for all X-ray selected active galactic nuclei with fluxes $f_{0.5-2\ {\rm keV}} > 10^{-14}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$; this is about a factor of 30 deeper than the ROSAT all-sky survey. With these data we will determine the physical properties (redshift, luminosity, line emission strength, masses, etc.) of up to one million supermassive black holes, constrain their cosmic evolution and clustering properties, and explore the connection between active galactic nuclei and large-scale structure over redshifts $0 \le z \le 6$.

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On the space density of X-ray selected cataclysmic variables

The space density of the various classes of cataclysmic variables (CVs) could only be weakly constrained in the past. Reasons were the small number of objects in complete X-ray flux-limited samples and the difficulty to derive precise distances to CVs. The former limitation still exists. Here the impact of Gaia parallaxes and implied distances on the space density of X-ray selected complete, flux-limited samples is studied. The samples are described in the literature, those of non-magnetic CVs are based on ROSAT (RBS - ROSAT Bright Survey & NEP -- North Ecliptic Pole), that of the Intermediate Polars stems from Swift/BAT. All CVs appear to be rarer than previously thought, although the new values are all within the errors of past studies. Upper limits at 90\% confidence for the space densities of non-magnetic CVs are $ρ_{\rm RBS} < 1.1 \times 10^{-6}$ pc$^{-3}$, and $ρ_{\rm RBS+NEP} < 5.1 \times 10^{-6}$ p$^{-3}$, for an assumed scale height of $h=260$ pc and $ρ_{\rm IPs} < 1.3 \times 10^{-7}$ p$^{-3}$ for the long-period Intermediate Polars at a scale height of 120 pc. Most of the distances to the IPs were under-estimated in the past. The upper limits to the space densities are only valid in the case where CVs do not have lower X-ray luminosities than the lowest-luminosity member of the sample. These results need consolidation by larger sample sizes, soon to be established through sensitive X-ray all-sky surveys to be performed with eROSITA on the Spektrum-X-Gamma mission.

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