The Analysis of X-Ray Spectra

As X-ray spectral information obtained from celestial objects improves in statistical accuracy, it is clear that the methods used to analyze these spectra must include the detailed interaction between the radiation field and the detector. A systematic method of analysis of proportional-counter X-ray data is presented. The analysis program is used to analyze X-ray spectral observations of Sco X-1 which were made on March 8, 1966, and October 11, 1966, using gas-filled proportional counters. The observed spectra are found to fit an optically thin plasma (Gaunt factor = 1) with T = 10 ± 0 7 X 10~ ° K for the March flight and a similar plasma at T = 5.7 ± 0.5 X 10~ ° K for the October flight The March flight data also are found to fit Tucker's Models 2 and 3 with temperatures of about 8 ± 0 5 X 1O~ ° K and 5 6±~ X 1O~ ° K, respectively, while the October flight also fits a model proposed by Manley with an energy parameter of 6.01 keV