XMM-Newton-NEWS

XMM-Newton-NEWS #50, 02-Aug-2005

XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre at
ESA's European Space Astronomy Centre,
P.O. Box - Apdo. 50727, 28080 Madrid, Spain

SOC Home Page:	https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/
Helpdesk web interface:	https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/xmm-newton-helpdesk
Helpdesk email address:	xmmhelp@sciops.esa.int
News Mailing List:	https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/newsletter

XMM-Newton Science Archive (XSA) version 2.8 on-line

Version 2.8 of the XMM-Newton Science Archive (XSA) is now available at the following URL:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_data_acc/xsa/index.shtml

This version includes several improvements and new facilities, among them being:

access to a first sample of multi-colour optical images from the XMM-Newton Survey Science Center (SSC) X-ray IDentification (XID) follow-up program. This first sample comprises images obtained with the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) and the Wide Field Camera (WFC) prime focus camera. A new query panel ("XID Program Observation") enables browsing the XID data products according to a wide range of parameters
a new field in the observation catalog records, flagging XMM-Newton observations which were coordinated with other space- or ground-based observatories
coordinate searches take now accurately into account the exact shape of the XMM-Newton instrument fields-of-view, instead of using a circular approximation
search on the ODF production date
access to a data quality report for each observation. Users will find details of the XMM-Newton data quality process at the following URL:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_data_acc/xsa/docs/data_quality.shtml
a link between observations and the XMM-Newton Image Gallery (http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/gallery/public/), whenever results from the observation are described in the Gallery
a link to the approved A04 target list
direct launch of the "Aladin" (http://aladin.u-strasbg.fr/aladin.gml) tool on the EPIC observation field-of-view images from the XSA user interface
display of EPIC product or INT WFC XID images through "ds9"
visualization of the 1XMM EPIC Serendipitous Source Catalogue sources on the EPIC field-of-view images, when displayed through the XSA built-in image viewer (XSPDT)
search on all query and display fields in the XSA user interface ("Find Field" menu item)
full flexibility in the selection of columns to be included in the ASCII catalogue output file ["Save Results (CUSTOM one-line format)" menu item]
visualization of the INT WFC image FITS headers

A short "guided tour" of the XSA is available at the following URL:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_data_acc/xsa/docs/tour.shtml

together with a list of "how-to" Frequently Asked Questions:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_data_acc/xsa/docs/xsa_faq_usage.shtml

Users Group Meeting

The XMM-Newton Users Group met on the 19th and 20th of May 2005 at ESAC. Please find the agenda, presentations and minutes of this meeting at:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/usersgroup/

XMM-Newton Users' Handbook update for AO-5

The XMM-Newton Users' Handbook (UHB) has been updated to version 2.3 in preparation for the next Announcement of Opportunity (AO-5) and reflecting latest in-flight experience.

The AO-5 will open on the 5th of September 2005 with a due date for proposals on the 14th of October 2005 (12:00 UT) (for further details, see XMM-NEWTON NEWS #48).

The UHB contains information on the instrumentation on board XMM-Newton and serves as the main technical support document for proposal preparation, based on which potential XMM-Newton users can assess the technical feasibility of their planned observations.

The XMM-Newton Users' Handbook is available on-line at
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/documentation/uhb
Alternatively, postscript and PDF versions of the UHB can be downloaded from the "XMM-Newton Proposer's Info and Manuals" portal at
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/documentation

'The X-ray Universe 2005' Symposium Update

We would like to inform you that the outline programme for the Symposium 'The X-ray Universe 2005' is now available on the web at:
http://www.congrex.nl/05a11/

It looks like it is going to be a large meeting. There are currently about 360 registered participants and we have received an even higher number of abstracts. All authors of proposed contributed talks and posters have been informed in the meantime about the results of the evaluation by the Scientific Organizing Committee. Participants who asked to be considered for financial support will be contacted by mid-August at the latest.

5th ESAC SAS Workshop

Presentations given at the 5th Science Analysis System (SAS) Workshop, which was held at ESAC from the 7th to 10th of June 2005 (cf. XMM-Newton NEWS #48) have been made available on-line at:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_sw_cal/sas_workshop5/program.shtml

XMM-Newton Image Gallery

To actively participate in communicating the results of your astronomical research directly to the public, please, do not forget to make use of the XMM-Newton Image Gallery, available at:
http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/gallery/public/

Yours sincerely,
XMM-Newton SOC