2. Useful Information and References

2.1 The Main Websites

• XMM-Newton SOC, fount of all XMM-Newton project information:

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton

• NASA/GSFC GOF, source of US specific information and a mirror site for software and public data access:

  http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xmm/xmmgof.html

• Survey Science Centre

  http://xmmssc.irap.omp.eu/

2.2 XMM-Newton Help Desks

• The main project helpdesk is located in Europe and can be accessed through the SOC's website. The helpdesk also provides an archive of previously asked questions.

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/xmm-newton-helpdesk

• The NASA/GSFC GOF offers an e-mail helpdesk for both general support and for US-specific issues:

  xmmhelp@athena.nasa.gov

  Some questions addressed to the NASA/GSFC GOF may be redirected to the ESA helpdesk.

2.3 Mission Planning and Spacecraft Status

• Observation Log:

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/observation-log-browser

  The scheduling information from this data base has been extracted and incorporated into a Browse data base at GSFC:

  http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/db-perl/W3Browse/w3browse.pl

• Short-Term Timeline:

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/short-term-schedule

2.4 Public Data Archives

• SOC Public Data Archive via the XSA:

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/xsa

• GSFC Archive Mirror Site via Browse:

  http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/db-perl/W3Browse/w3browse.pl

2.5 Calibration Data

• XMM-Newton Calibration Page. On this page can be found links to the Current Calibration File (CCF) archive, release notes for CCF updates, response and background files for all instruments, and the current calibration status of all instruments.

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/calibration

• Caldb, NASA/GSFC GOF mirror site for canned response files:

  https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/FTP/caldb/data/xmm/

2.6 Software

• XMM-Newton Standard Analysis System (SAS):

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/sas

• XMM-Newton Extended Source Analysis Software (ESAS):

  https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xmm/esas/cookbook/xmm-esas.html

• HEASARC HEASoft Package:

  https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/corp/software.html

• CXC CIAO Package:

  https://asc.harvard.edu/ciao/

2.7 Analysis, Documentation, and Helpful Hints

• On-Line Users Guide to SAS:

  https://xmm-tools.cosmos.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/documentation/sas_usg/USG/

• There is a “watchout” page for current SAS bugs at:

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/sas-watchout

• SAS and ESAS Threads:

  https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/sas-threads

• Very detailed descriptions of all SAS tasks, including parameter lists, algorithms, warnings, and errors:

  https://xmm-tools.cosmos.esa.int/external/sas/current/doc/packagelist.html

• XMM-Newton Users Handbook:

  https://xmm-tools.cosmos.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/documentation/uhb/index.html

• This Guide:

  https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xmm/abc/