GSFC XMM-Newton GOF Status Report #115: XMM-NEWTON NEWS #54

[GSFC XMM-Newton GOF <xmmhelp@olegacy.gsfc.nasa.gov>]

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_/            XMM-NEWTON NEWS #54   ---    10-Feb-2006            _/
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              XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre at
               ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre,
            P.O. Box - Apdo. 50727, 28080 Madrid, Spain

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SOC Home Page:
   http://xmm.esac.esa.int/
Helpdesk web interface:
   http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/helpdesk.shtml
Helpdesk email address:
   xmmhelp@xmm.vilspa.esa.es
News Mailing List:
   http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/xmm_news/

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Contents:

       - ESAC Science Workshop Announcement
       - 6th ESAC SAS Workshop
       - Release of a new version of "EPIC status of calibration and
         data analysis" and "Status of XMM-Newton instruments cross-
         calibration with SASv6.5" Documents
       - XMM-Newton AO-5 OTAC Results
       - Anticipated time line for next Announcement of Opportunity
       - Suzaku Conference Announcement


ESAC Science Workshop Announcement
==================================

The XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre is organising a workshop
in the summer of this year, with the following subject, dates and
venue:

      Variable and Broad Iron Lines around Black Holes

     Monday the 26th to Wednesday the 28th of June 2006

        XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre at
   ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre, Madrid, Spain


The meeting will focus on the iron line emitted around accreting
black holes and will concentrate on results and discoveries from
XMM-Newton, Chandra and Suzaku, as well as other current missions,
and on theoretical progress.

Broad iron lines have been observed in the X-ray spectra of some
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and accreting Galactic Black Holes
(GBH). The widths of the lines indicate that the emission originates
close to the black hole where strong gravity effects dominate.
Variable lines, often with red or blueshifts are also seen, which
also come from the inner regions. The broad and variable lines are
believed to be due to X-ray reflection from the accretion flow, and
to reveal its geometry and dynamics.

Alternative interpretations involving complex absorption introduce
some ambiguity which is now being reduced with new data showing
evidence for further reflection features such as the soft excess
and Compton hump.

We plan an in-depth review of the data and interpretation, and
discussion of future challenges.

Further information is available at
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/workshops/2006_science/


6th ESAC SAS Workshop
=====================

The SOC announces the 6th Science Analysis System (SAS) Workshop,
which will be held at ESAC from

    Tuesday the 30th of May to Friday the 2nd of June 2006.

SAS Workshops aim at providing astronomers, having little or no
experience of XMM-Newton data analysis, with an introduction to
the procedures and techniques to successfully reduce and analyze
XMM-Newton data.

About one-third of the Workshop time is devoted to presentations,
and the remaining two-thirds to practical training (hands-on)
sessions. During the latter, one workstation will be available for
every two participants. The lecture program covers topics such as:
instrument calibration status, SAS installation and set-up,
spectral analysis of point-like sources with EPIC and RGS, EPIC
source detection and timing analysis, analysis of extended sources
with EPIC, OM data reduction and analysis, the XMM-Newton
serendipitous source catalogue, and the science archive (XSA).

Interested persons are invited to fill in the registration form,
available at:

http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/workshops/sas6/

Attendance is strictly limited to 20 persons to ensure proper
support during the training sessions. The available places will be
filled on a "first-register, first-served" basis.

The deadline for submission of applications is April 21, 2006.


Release of a new version of "EPIC status of calibration and data
analysis" and "Status of XMM-Newton instruments cross-calibration
with SASv6.5" Documents
=================================================================

Version 2.5 of the EPIC status of calibration and data analysis
document has been released. This document reflects the improvements
in the calibration with SAS6.5 and the newest CCFs.
Major improvement has been achieved in the modelling of the EPIC
redistribution that results in better agreement between the 3 EPIC
cameras.

In addition a document has been released describing the status of
the Cross-Calibration among all XMM-Newton instruments and also
including examples of cross calibration of the XMM-Newton
instruments with other X-ray missions.

Both documents are available from the XMM-Newton Calibration Portal
at http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_sw_cal/calib/


XMM-Newton AO-5 OTAC Results
============================

The proposals accepted by the AO-5 Observing Time Allocation
Committee (OTAC) are available with their associated abstracts at
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_news/ao5_results/

The Principal Investigators of accepted proposals have been
informed about the second phase proposal submission via the
XMM-Newton Remote Proposal Submission System (XRPS). The XRPS
will be closed on the 17th of February 2006 at 13:00 UT.

AO-5 observations will start to be performed in May 2006.


Anticipated time line for next Announcement of Opportunity
==========================================================

The planned key milestones for the sixth XMM-Newton "Announcement
of Opportunity" have been established. Within this AO-6 a new call
to submit proposals for observations to be performed with the
XMM-Newton observatory will be issued.

To be prepared for this, please find below the anticipated time
line:

Announcement of Opportunity             28 August   2006
Due date for proposals                  06 October  2006 (12:00 UT)
Final OTAC approved programme         late December 2006

For approved proposals only:
Start of phase II proposal submission   15 January  2007
Closure of phase II proposal submission 09 February 2007

Start of AO6 observations                  May      2007

The official "Announcement of Opportunity" will be made public in
the XMM-Newton News and on the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre
Home Page.


Suzaku Conference Announcement
==============================

An international conference "The Extreme Universe in the Suzaku
Era", is scheduled for December 4-8, 2006, at Kyoto, Japan.

An outline of the conference and further details are available at
http://www-cr.scphys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/conference/suzaku2006/



Yours sincerely,
XMM-Newton SOC

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