The 2-8 keV cosmic X-ray background spectrum as observed with XMM-Newton

Abstract

We have measured the spectrum of the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) in the 2-8 keV range with the high throughput EPIC/MOS instrument onboard XMM-Newton. A large sample of high galactic latitude observations was used, covering a total solid angle of 5.5 square degrees. Our study is based on a very careful characterization and subtraction of the instrumental background, which is crucial for a robust measurement of the faintest diffuse source of the X-ray sky. The CXB spectrum is consistent with a power law having a photon index Γ=1.41 ± 0.06 and a normalization of 2.46 ± 0.09 photons cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 keV^-1 at 3 keV (∼11.6 photons cm^-2 s^-1 sr^-1 keV^-1 at 1 keV), corresponding to a 2-10 keV flux of (2.24 ± 0.16) × 10^-11 erg cm^-2 s^-1 deg^-1 (90% confidence level, including the absolute flux calibration uncertainty). Our results are in excellent agreement with two of the most recent CXB measurements, performed with BeppoSAX LECS/MECS data (Vecchi et al. \cite{Vec99}) and with an independent analysis of XMM-Newton EPIC/MOS data (Lumb et al. \cite{Lum02}), providing a very strong constraint to the absolute sky surface brightness in this energy range, so far affected by an ∼40% uncertainty. Our measurement implies that the fraction of CXB resolved by the recent deep X-ray observations in the 2-10 keV band is of 80 ± 7% (1σ), suggesting the existence of a new population of faint sources, largely undetected within the current sensitivity limits of the deepest X-ray surveys.

Based on observations with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA member states and the USA (NASA).

Appendices A and B are only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org