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M. Mateen, W.N. Brandt (Penn State)
We present results from ROSAT HRI observations of Maffei 1 and Maffei 2, two of the largest members of the IC342/Maffei group. These observations were designed to allow a search for X-ray spatial extent and variability. Much of the X-ray emission previously attributed to Maffei 1 is now revealed to be due to a red foreground star. However, a pointlike (spatial extent less than 70 pc) X-ray source is still detected coincident with the nucleus of Maffei 1. The nature of the X-ray emission has not yet been determined; it may be due to accretion onto a compact nuclear source (such as a "super-Eddington" X-ray binary or low-luminosity active galactic nucleus) or hot gas emission. Maffei 2 is not detected by ROSAT.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: mateen@astro.psu.edu