The BeppoSAX 2-10 keV Survey

We present the results of a 2-10 keV BeppoSAX survey based on 140 high galactic latitude MECS fields, 12 of which are deep exposures of ``blank'' parts of the sky. The limiting sensitivity is 5 10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1 where about 25% of the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB) is resolved into discrete sources. The logN-logS function, built with a statistically complete sample of 177 sources, is steep and in good agreement with the counts derived from ASCA surveys. A CXB fluctuation analysis allowed us to probe the logN-logS down to about 1.5 10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1 where the contribution of discrete sources to the CXB grows to 40-50%. A hardness ratio analysis reveals the presence of a wide range of spectral shapes and that a fairly large fraction of sources appear to be heavily absorbed, some of which showing soft components. A comparison of the flux distribution of different subsamples confirms the existence of a spectral hardening with decreasing flux. This effect is probably due to an increasing percentage of absorbed sources at faint fluxes, rather than to a gradual flattening of the spectral slope. Nearly all the sources for which adequate ROSAT exposures exist, have been detected in the soft X-rays. This confirms that soft spectral components are present even in strongly absorbed objects, and that a large population of sources undetectable below a few keV does not exist. A Ve/Va test provides evidence for the presence of cosmological evolution of a magnitude similar to that found in soft X-ray extragalactic sources. Evolution is present both in normal and absorbed sources, with the latter population possibly evolving faster,although this effect could also be the result of complex selection effects.