X-Ray Observation on the Monoceros R2 Star-Forming Region with the Chandra ACIS-I Array

We report on the results of the Chandra ACIS-I observation on the central region of the Monoceros R2 cloud (Mon R2), a high-mass star-forming region (SFR) at a distance of 830pc. With a deep exposure of ∼ 100ks, we detected 368 X-ray sources, ∼80% of which were identified with the near-infrared (NIR) counterparts. We systematically analyzed the spectra and time variability of most of the X-ray emitting sources and provided a comprehensive X-ray source catalog for the first time. Using the J-, H-, and K-band magnitudes of the NIR counterparts, we estimated the evolutionary phase (classical T Tauri stars and weak-lined T Tauri stars) and the mass of the X-ray emitting sources, and analyzed the X-ray properties as a function of the age and mass. We found a marginal hint that classical T Tauri stars have a slightly higher temperature (2.4keV) than that of weak-lined T Tauri stars (2.0keV). A significant fraction of the high- and intermediate-mass sources have a time variability and high plasma temperatures (2.7keV) similar to those of low-mass sources (2.0keV). We performed the same analysis for other SFRs, the Orion Nebula Cluster and Orion Molecular Cloud-2/3, and obtained similar results to Mon R2. This supports the earlier results of this observation obtained by Kohno et al. (2002, ApJ, 567, 423) and Preibisch et al. (2002, A&A, 392, 945) that high- and intermediate-mass young stellar objects emit X-rays via magnetic activity. We also found a significant difference in the spatial distribution between X-ray and NIR sources.