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We present a catalog of sources detected by the Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC telescope onboard the SRG space observatory during the observations of the Galactic plane region near a longitude $l\simeq20$ deg (L20 field) in October 2019. The L20 field was observed four times in the scanning mode, which provided a uniform coverage of the sky region with a total area of $\simeq24$ sq. deg with a median sensitivity of $8\times10^{-13}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$ (at 50% detection completeness) in the 4$-$12 keV. As a result, we have detected 29 X-ray sources at a statistically significant level, 11 of which have not been detected previously by other X-ray observatories. Preliminary estimates show that four of them can presumably be extragalactic in nature. We also show that the source SRGA J183220.1$-$103508 (CXOGSG J183220.8$-$103510), is most likely a galaxy cluster containing a bright radio galaxy at redshift $z\simeq0.121$., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables; minor edits

We report a discovery of a new long-period X-ray pulsar SRGA J204318.2+443815/SRGe J204319.0+443820 in the Be binary system. The source was found in the second all-sky survey by the Mikhail Pavlinsky telescope on board the SRG mission. The follow-up observations with XMM-Newton, NICER and NuSTAR observatories allowed us to discover a strong coherent signal in the source light curve with the period of $\sim742$ s. The pulsed fraction was found to depend on the energy increasing from $\sim20$% in soft X-rays to $>50$% at high energies, as it is typical for X-ray pulsars. The source demonstrate a quite hard spectrum with an exponential cutoff at high energies and bolometric luminosity of $L_X \simeq 4\times10^{35}$ erg/s. Dedicated optical and infrared observations with the RTT-150, NOT, Keck and Palomar telescopes revealed a number of emission lines (H$_{\alpha}$, HeI, Pashen and Braket series) with the strongly absorbed continuum. All of above suggests that SRGAJ204318.2+443815/ SRGeJ204319.0+443820 is a new persistent low luminosity X-ray pulsar in a distant binary system with a Be-star of the B0-B2e class. Thus the SRG observatory allow us to unveil the hidden population of faint persistent objects including the population of slowly rotating X-ray pulsars in Be systems., Comment: Submitted to A&A for the Special Issue: The Early Data Release of eROSITA and Mikhail Pavlinsky ART-XC on the SRG Mission. 9 pages, 9 figures

We continue the study begun in Karasev et al. (2018) and present the results of our optical identifications of four hard X-ray sources from the INTEGRAL sky surveys. Having first improved the positions of these objects in the sky with the X-ray telescope (XRT) of the Swift observatory, we have identified their counterparts using optical and infrared sky survey data. Then, we have obtained optical spectra for the supposed counterparts with the RTT-150 Russian-Turkish telescope and the AZT-33IK telescope. This has allowed the nature of the objects under study to be established. The sources IGR J11079+7106 and IGR J12171+7047 have turned out to be extragalactic in nature and be Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies, respectively, with the second object being characterized by a large absorption column density. The source IGR J18165-3912 is most likely an intermediate polar with a very high luminosity. The fourth source, IGR J20596+4303, is a chance superposition of two objects - a Seyfert 2 galaxy and a cataclysmic variable., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1809.02949

We report on analysis of properties of the X-ray binary pulsar GROJ1750-27 based on X-ray (Chandra, Swift, and Fermi/GBM), and near-infrared (VVV and UKIDSS surveys) observations. An accurate position of the source is determined for the first time and used to identify its infrared counterpart. Based on the VVV data we investigate the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the companion, taking into account a non-standard absorption law in the source direction. A comparison of this SED with those of known Be/X-ray binaries and early type stars has allowed us to estimate a lower distance limit to the source at $>12$ kpc. An analysis of the observed spin-up torque during a giant outburst in 2015 provides an independent distance estimate of $14-22$ kpc, and also allows to estimate the magnetic field on the surface of the neutron star at $B\simeq(3.5-4.5)\times10^{12}$ G. The latter value is in agreement with the possible transition to the propeller regime, a strong hint for which was revealed by Swift/XRT and Chandra. We conclude that GROJ1750-27 is located far behind the Galactic Center, which makes it one of the furthest Galactic X-ray binaries known., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present the results of our optical identifications of several hard X-ray sources from the INTEGRAL all-sky survey obtained over 14 years of observations. Having improved the positions of these objects in the sky with the X-ray telescope (XRT) of the Swift observatory and the XMM-Newton observatory, we have identified their counterparts using optical and infrared sky survey data. We have obtained optical spectra for more than half of the objects from our sample with the RTT-150 and AZT-33IK telescopes, which have allowed us to establish the nature of the objects and to measure their redshifts. Six sources are shown to be extragalactic in origin and to belong to Seyfert 1 and 2 galaxies (IGR J01017+6519, IGR J08215-1320, IGR J08321-1808, IGR J16494-1740, IGR J17098-2344, IGR J17422-2108); we have failed to draw definitive conclusions about the nature of four more objects (IGR J11299-6557, IGR J14417-5533, IGR J18141-1823, IGR J18544+0839), but, judging by circumstantial evidence, they are most likely also extragalactic objects. For one more object (IGR J18044-1829) no unequivocal identification has been made., Comment: 19 pages, 12 figures

The properties of red clump giants in the central regions of the Galactic bulge are investigated in the photometric $Z$ and $Y$ bands of the infrared VVV (VISTA/ESO) survey and the [3.6],[4.5], [5.8] and [8.0] bands of the GLIMPSE (Spitzer/IRAC) Galactic plane survey. The absolute magnitudes for objects of this class have been determined in these bands for the first time: $M_{Z}= -0.20\pm0.04$ and $M_{Y}=-0.470\pm0.045$, $M_{[3.6]}= -1.70\pm0.03$, $M_{[4.5]}= -1.60\pm0.03$, $M_{[5.8]}= -1.67\pm0.03$ and $M_{[8.0]}= -1.70\pm0.03$. A comparison of the measured magnitudes with the predictions of theoretical models for the spectra of the objects under study has demonstrated good mutual agreement and has allowed some important constraints to be obtained for the properties of bulge red clump giants. In particular, a comparison with evolutionary tracks has shown that we are dealing predominantly with the high-metallicity subgroup of bulge red clump giants. Their metallicity is slightly higher than has been thought previously, $[M/H]\simeq0.40$ (${\bf Z} \simeq 0.038$) with an error of $[M/H]\simeq 0.1$ dex, while the effective temperature is $4250\pm150$ K. Stars with an age of 9-10 Gyr are shown to dominate among the red clump giants, although some number of younger objects with an age of $\sim8$ can also be present. In addition, the distances to several Galactic bulge regions have been measured, as D = 8200-8500 pc, and the extinction law in these directions is shown to differ noticeably from the standard one., Comment: 18 pages, 12 figures

This paper is devoted to determining the nature of the hard X-ray source IGR J17463-2854 located toward the Galactic bulge. Using data from the INTEGRAL and Chandra X-ray observatories, we show that five point X-ray sources with approximately identical fluxes in the 2-10 keV energy band are detected in the error circle of the object under study. In addition, significant absorption at low energies has been detected in the spectra of all these sources. Based on data from the VVV (VISTA/ESO) infrared Galactic Bulge Survey, we have unambiguously identified three of the five sources, determined the J, H and K magnitudes of the corresponding stars, and obtained upper limits on the fluxes for the remaining two sources. Analysis of the color-magnitude diagrams has shown that one of these objects most likely belongs to a class of rarely encountered objects, symbiotic binary systems (several tens are known with certainty), i.e., low-mass binary systems consisting of a white dwarf and a red giant. Note that all our results were obtained using improved absorption values and an extinction law differing in this direction from the standard one., Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, will be published in Astronomy Letters, 41, 394 (2015)

We present the results of the identification of six objects from the ASCA Galactic center and Galactic plane surveys: AXJ173548-3207, AXJ173628-3141, AXJ1739.5-2910, AXJ1740.4-2856, AXJ1740.5-2937, AXJ1743.9-2846. Chandra, XMM-Newton, and XRT/Swift X-ray data have been used to improve the positions of the optical counterparts to these sources. Thereafter, we have carried out a series of spectroscopic observations of the established optical counterparts at the RTT-150 telescope. Analysis of X-ray and optical spectra as well as photometric measurements in a wide wavelength range based on optical and infrared catalogs has allowed the nature of the program sources to be determined. Two X-ray objects have been detected in the error circle of AXJ173628-3141: one is a coronally active G star and the other may be a symbiotic star, a red giant with an accreting white dwarf. Three sources (AXJ1739.5-2910, AXJ1740.5-2937, AXJ1743.9-2846) have turned out to be active G-K stars, presumably RS CVn objects, one (AXJ1740.4-2856) is an M dwarf, and another one (AXJ173548-3207) may be a low-mass X-ray binary in its low state. The distances and corresponding luminosities of the sources in the soft X-ray band have been estimated; analysis of deep INTEGRAL Galactic Center observations has not revealed a statistically significant flux at energies higher 20 keV from any of them., Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, 1 table, will be published in Astronomy Letters, 2015, Vol. 41, No. 5, pp. 179-195

We present the results of Chandra and XMM-Newton observations for six hard X-ray sources (IGR J12134-6015, IGR J18293-1213, IGR J18219-1347, IGR J17350-2045, IGR J18048-1455, XTE J1901+014) from the INTEGRAL all-sky survey. Based on these observations, we have improved significantly the localization accuracy of the objects and, therefore, have managed to identify their optical counterparts. Using data from the publicly available 2MASS and UKIDSS infrared sky surveys as well as data from the SOFI/NTT telescope (European Southern Observatory), we have determined the magnitudes of the optical counterparts, estimated their types and (in some cases) the distances to the program objects. A triplet of iron lines with energies of 6.4, 6.7, and 6.9 keV has been detected in the X-ray spectrum of IGR J18048-1455; together with the detection of pulsations with a period of ~1440 s from this source, this has allowed it to be classified as a cataclysmic variable, most likely an intermediate polar. In addition, broadband X-ray spectra of IGR J12134-6015 and IGR J17350-2045 in combination with infrared and radio observations suggest an extragalactic nature of these objects. The source IGR J18219-1347 presumably belongs to the class of high-mass X-ray binaries., Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures. Will be published in Astronomy Letters, 2012, Vol. 38, No. 10, pp. 629-637

Two faint X-ray pulsars, AX J1749.2-2725 and AX J1749.1-2733, located in the direction to the Galactic Center, were studied in detail using data of INTEGRAL, XMM-Newton and Chandra observatories in X-rays, the SOFI/NTT instrument in infrared and the RTT150 telescope in optics. X-ray positions of both sources were determined with the uncertainty better than ~1 arcsec, that allowed us to identify their infrared counterparts. From the subsequent analysis of infrared and optical data we conclude that counterparts of both pulsars are likely massive stars of B0-B3 classes located behind the Galactic Center at distances of 12-20 kpc, depending on the type, probably in further parts of galactic spiral arms. In addition, we investigated the extinction law towards the galactic bulge and found that it is significantly different from standard one., Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, will be published in MNRAS

We studied the stellar population in the central 6.6x6.6arcmin,region of the ultra-deep (1Msec) Chandra Galactic field - the "Chandra bulge field" (CBF) approximately 1.5 degrees away from the Galactic Center - using the Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC blue (F435W) and red (F625W) images. We mainly focus on the behavior of red clump giants - a distinct stellar population, which is known to have an essentially constant intrinsic luminosity and color. By studying the variation in the position of the red clump giants on a spatially resolved color-magnitude diagram, we confirm the anomalous total-to-selective extinction ratio, as reported in previous work for other Galactic bulge fields. We show that the interstellar extinction in this area is = 4 on average, but varies significantly between ~3-5 on angular scales as small as 1 arcminute. Using the distribution of red clump giants in an extinction-corrected color-magnitude diagram, we constrain the shape of a stellar-mass distribution model in the direction of this ultra-deep Chandra field, which will be used in a future analysis of the population of X-ray sources. We also show that the adopted model for the stellar density distribution predicts an infrared surface brightness in the direction of the "Chandra bulge field" in good agreement (i.e. within ~15%) with the actual measurements derived from the Spitzer/IRAC observations., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

We continue to study the fast X-ray transient XTE J1901+014 discovered in 2002 by the RXTE observatory, whose nature has not yet been established. Based on the XMM-Newton observations of the source in 2006, we have obtained its energy spectrum, light curves, and power spectrum in the energy range 0.5-12 keV, which are in good agreement with our results obtained previously from the data of other observatories. In turn, this suggests that the source's emission is stable in the quiescent state. The XMM-Newton observations also allowed the source's localization accuracy to be improved to <2", which subsequently enabled us to search for its optical companion with the RTT-150 and 6-m BTA (Special Astrophysical Observatory) telescopes. Combining optical, X-ray, and infrared observations, we have concluded that the optical companion in the system under study can be either a later-type star at a distance of several kpc or a very distant red giant or an A or F star. Thus, XTE J1901+014 may be the first low-mass fast X-ray transient., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures

We are reporting a discovery of X-ray pulsations from the source AX J1749.1-2733 with the period of ~132 s based on the XMM-Newton data obtained in March 2007. The observed pulse profile has a double-peaked structure with the pulse fraction of about 25-30 % in the 3-10 keV energy band. We have also found that a periodicity with practically the same period has been detected from the source by the IBIS telescope onboard the INTEGRAL observatory during an outburst on Sept. 9, 2003 in the 20-50 keV energy band. Due to the double-peaked pulse profile, there is an additional peak on both periodograms of nearly ~66 s, therefore we have also investigated the possibility that the last value is the true pulse period. The source spectrum obtained by the XMM-Newton observatory in the soft energy band is being heavily absorbed ($N_H\simeq2\times10^{23}$ cm$^{-2}$) due to a strong intrinsic absorption in the binary system that leads to the conclusion that AX J1749.1-2733 is a new transient X-ray pulsar in the high mass X-ray binary system., Comment: MNRAS, 6 pages, 6 figures

The source XTE J1901+014 discovered by the RXTE observatory during an intense outburst of hard radiation and classified as a fast X-ray transient is studied. The source's spectral characteristics in the quiescent state have been investigated for the first time both in the soft X-ray energy range (0.6-20 keV) based on ROSAT and RXTE data and in the hard energy range (>20 keV) based on INTEGRAL data. A timing analysis of the source's properties has revealed weak nonperiodic bursts of activity on time scales of several tens of seconds and two intense ($\sim$0.5-1 Crab) outbursts more than several hundred seconds in duration. Certain assumptions about the nature of the object under study are made., Comment: 19 pages, 7 figures

We present results of spectral and timing analysis of the fast X-ray transient XTE J1901+014 based on data of the RXTE and INTEGRAL observatories. With the INTEGRAL/ISGRI the source was detected at a significance level of 20$\sigma$ with the persistent flux of $\sim$2.7 mCrab in a 17-100 keV energy band in 2003-2004 (during long observations of the Sagittarius arm region). We added the RXTE/PCA (3-20 keV) data obtained in 1998 to the INTEGRAL/ISGRI data to build the broadband spectrum of the source in a quiescent state. It was found that the spectrum can be well approximated by a simple powerlaw with a photon index of $\sim$2.15. From timing analysis we found short time scale aperiodic variations which can be connected with instabilities in the accretion flow., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, Proceeding of the 6th INTEGRAL Workshop "The Obscured Universe", submitted