Probing the gas content of the dwarf galaxy NGC 3109 with background X - ray sources

We established the catalog of X-ray point sources in the field of the Magellanic-type spiral galaxy NGC 3109 (DDO 236) from two ROSAT PSPC observations. Of the 91 X-ray sources 26 are contained within the Hi extent of NGC 3109 as derived by Jobin & Carignan (1990) with the VLA. For 10 of these we can determine accurate hardness ratios δHR2 ≤0.2. We find 3 candidate AGN, 2 candidate X-ray binaries and one source which may belong to either class. We also find 2 candidate foreground stars. In a field of 8 × 8 observed with the NTT in the I-band and centered on the nucleus of NGC 3109 we determine candidates for optical counterparts in the X-ray error circle of 7 ROSAT PSPC sources. We apply a spectral fit to the ROSAT spectrum of the X-ray brightest absorbed candidate AGN behind NGC 3109, RX J1003.22607. Assuming a galactic foreground hydrogen column density of 4.3 10 cm we derive from the X-ray spectral fit, assuming reduced metallicities (∼0.2 solar), a hydrogen column density due to NGC 3109 of 11±5 10 20 cm. This value is slightly larger than the hydrogen column density derived from the 21-cm observations of∼ 8 10 cm. We estimate that the molecular mass fraction of the gas is not larger than ∼ 60%.