Science with the EXTraS Project: Exploring the X-ray Transient and variable Sky

TL;DR

The EXTraS project systematically analyzes all XMM-Newton EPIC data to characterize X-ray variability and transients across a vast range of sources and timescales, providing a comprehensive public resource.

Contribution

It introduces a novel, systematic analysis of the entire XMM-Newton EPIC dataset to study X-ray variability and transients, including new discoveries and classifications.

Findings

Identification of numerous variable and transient X-ray sources

Development of a public archive of variability data

Enhanced understanding of X-ray source behavior across timescales

Abstract

The EXTraS project (Exploring the X-ray Transient and variable Sky) will characterise the temporal behaviour of the largest ever sample of objects in the soft X-ray range (0.1-12 keV) with a complex, systematic and consistent analysis of all data collected by the European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument onboard the ESA XMM-Newton X-ray observatory since its launch. We will search for, and characterize variability (both periodic and aperiodic) in hundreds of thousands of sources spanning more than nine orders of magnitude in time scale and six orders of magnitude in flux. We will also search for fast transients, missed by standard image analysis. Our analysis will be completed by multiwavelength characterization of new discoveries and phenomenological classification of variable sources. All results and products will be made available to the community in a public archive, serving as a reference for a broad range of astrophysical investigations.