FLUCTUATIONS IN THE DIFFUSE-X-RAY BACKGROUND OBSERVED WITH GINGA

We present Ginga measurements of the spatial fluctuations in the diffu se X-ray background. When combined with earlier results, the new data constrain the extragalactic log N-log S relation in the 2-10 keV energ y band to a form close to the Euclidean prediction over the flux range 10(-10)-5 x 10(-13) erg cm(-2) s(-1). The normalization of the 2-10 k eV source counts is a factor 2-3 above that derived in the softer 0.3- 0.5 keV band from the Einstein Extended Medium Sensitivity Survey, if a spectral conversion is assumed which ignores X-ray absorption intrin sic to the sources. Both this result and the spectral characteristics of the spatial fluctuations are consistent with relatively low-luminos ity active galaxies (i.e. L-x<10(44) erg s(-1)) dominating the 2-10 ke V source counts at intermediate flux levels. We also use the 'excess v ariance' of the fluctuations to constrain possible clustering of the u nderlying discrete sources.