As announced in XMM-NEWTON NEWS #36, we have prepared an XMM-Newton Image Gallery into which scientists who have remarkable and high quality images and results related to XMM-Newton are invited to submit examples.
This Image Gallery is the place to put your XMM-Newton based visual results and to demonstrate the high quality of the science you are doing not only to your colleagues but also to the whole of the internet community.
XMM-Newton recently observed the likely-to-be X-ray afterglows of two gamma-ray bursts that were discovered with ESA's International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (INTEGRAL): GRB031203 and GRB040106.
Both observations were accepted as Targets of Opportunity and XMM-Newton started collecting data less than 6 hours after the occurrence of each burst.
Coordinates of GRB031203 (though at a large (6arcmin) off-axis angle) were also within the EPIC field of view for a calibration observation of Zeta Pup, which was scheduled for the following revolution.
The scheduling of the third XMM-Newton observing cycle observations, AO3, started in December 2003 and is expected to end by March 2005. On January 23, a long-term scheduling plan for the AO3 period has been released at; http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_sched/advance_plan.shtml
Principal Investigators of pending XMM-Newton observations are encouraged to check this plan, especially if scheduling constraints were granted following the Time Allocation Committee recommendations. All observers should be aware that, as flexibility is required in the scheduling process, the long term plan only fills 50% of the available observing time, using some 50% of the approved observations. Consequently about 50% of the approved observations do not appear in the long term plan. The full observing plan is only available some two to four weeks in advance of the start of a revolution. It is intended to follow the long term plan as closely as possible. The XMM-Newton SOC nevertheless reserves the right to modify it at any stage of the scheduling process, should this become necessary.
4th VILSPA SAS Workshop
The SOC announces the 4th SAS Workshop, which will be held at VILSPA on June 8-11.
SAS Workshops aim at providing astronomers, having no or little 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 science archive.
Attendance is strictly limited to 20 persons, to ensure proper support during the training sessions. The available places will be filled on a strict "first-register, first-serve" basis. Deadline for submission of the applications is March 15, 2004.
35th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
Several meetings which might be of interest to XMM-Newton users will take place in the framework of the COSPAR symposium in Paris, July 18-25 2004, see; http://www.copernicus.org/COSPAR/COSPAR.html
For instance, the following sessions are planned by the Scientific Commission
E: Research in Astrophysics from Space;
E1.1 Gamma-ray Bursts
E1.2 Clusters of Galaxies: New Insights from XMM-Newton, Chandra and INTEGRAL
E1.3 High-Energy Radiation from Black Holes: from Supermassive Blackholes in AGN to Galactic Solar Mass Blackholes