GSFC XMM-Newton GOF Status Report #176: XMM-NEWTON NEWS #92

[xmmnews@lists.nasa.gov]

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
_/                                                                _/
_/            XMM-NEWTON NEWS #92   ---    22-Jun-2009            _/
_/                                                                _/
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

              XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre at
               ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre,
 P.O. Box - Apdo. 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

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@sciops.esa.int
News Mailing List:
  http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_news/news_list/index.php

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

Contents:

  - Version 9.0 of the Science Analysis System (SAS) released
  - Updated SAS Web pages


Version 9.0 of the Science Analysis System (SAS) released
=========================================================

The XMM-Newton SAS team is pleased to announce the release of a new
version of the SAS: SAS 9.0

Binaries for diverse flavours of Linux, Solaris and MacOs are
available at:

http://xmm.esac.esa.int/sas/9.0.0/download/

A virtual machine running on Microsoft Windows allowing to run
SAS 9.0 will be available soon.

The main improvements in this version with respect to the former
version, SAS 8.0.1, are:

 - integration of package esas (Extended Sources Analysis System)
   into SAS, including 14 new tasks. The package, developed by
   NASA/GSFC, is especially suited for the analysis of extended
   sources and diffuse background within EPIC data;
 - new task emosaicproc, for EPIC mosaic data analysis, making
   possible the coherent source detection of overlapping EPIC
   exposures, also from different observations. Observations
   performed in the EPIC Mosaic Mode, publicly available since AO8,
   can be prepared for analysis with the task emosaic_prep;
 - new task efluxer, for fluxing of EPIC spectra. It provides a good,
   model-independent, estimate of the total flux within [0.3-8.0]
   keV, as well as a reasonable representation of the spectrum above
   0.5 keV;
 - new task etruecolor, which eases the production of EPIC true color
   images;
 - new tasks epsplitter and epsplitproc, for splitting and correctly
   processing split EPIC PN data. These tasks are aimed to solve
   problems caused by overly large PN event lists which currently
   require large amounts of memory to be processed;
 - upgrade of the task eregionalyse, including derivation of upper
   limit significances;
 - new tasks psfgen, for EPIC PSF generation using the calibration
   packages, and eradial, for comparison of a source radial profile
   with a theoretical PSF;
 - new task emtaglenoise, for recognition of low energy noise in EPIC
   MOS data;
 - upgrade of the task arfgen, including a more accurate calculation
   of the encircled energy correction for EPIC timing and burst mode
   spectra;
 - upgrade of rgslccorr, the RGS light curve exposure and background
   correction task, which includes now the possibility of spectral /
   energy selections;
 - upgrade of the task rgscombine, for handling of multiple orders
   and correct treatment of off-axis observations;
 - upgrade of the task rgsregions, for analysis of very extended
   sources suffering from noise contamination;
 - upgrade of the task omlcbuild, including Chi2 and
   Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests on OM light curves variability, and
   recording into the source list;
 - upgrade of the task ommosaic, for source detection in OM mosaic
   images;
 - new task ommergelists, for increased OM source detection
   sensitivity through merged source lists;
 - new task omscattered, for removal of persistent central scattered
   light feature in OM images.

For further details on SAS 9.0 please visit the SAS Pages at:

http://xmm.esac.esa.int/sas/


Updated SAS Web Pages
=====================

In parallel with the release of SAS 9.0, the XMM-Newton SOC has taken
the opportunity to update the SAS web pages structure and contents in
order to make it more user friendly, and more in-line with the rest
ofthe XMM-Newton SOC pages.



Yours sincerely,
XMM-Newton SOC

_______________________________________________
XMM-NEWS mailing list
XMM-NEWS@sciops.esa.int
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/mailman/listinfo/xmm-news

================================================================================================
This message and any attachments are intended for the use of the addressee or addressees only. The
unauthorised disclosure, use, dissemination or copying (either in whole or in part) of its content
is prohibited. If you received this message in error, please delete it from your system and notify
the sender. E-mails can be altered and their integrity cannot be guaranteed. ESA shall not be liable
for any e-mail if modified.
=================================================================================================

----- End forwarded message -----
A service of the XMM-Newton GOF, NASA/GSFC

Please do not reply to this email.
Questions or comments should go to:
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/Feedback