XMM-Newton-NEWS


XMM-Newton-NEWS  #55,    15-Mar-2006

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

Contents:


ESAC Science Workshop: Open for Registration

As announced in the previous newsletter, 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.

Participants are invited now to register and submit their contributions via the workshop web page available at:

   http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/workshops/2006_science/

Proceedings of 'The X-ray Universe 2005'

The Proceedings of 'The X-ray Universe 2005' symposium have been printed and are currently in the process of being mailed out (free of charge) to all registered participants of the conference.

Additional copies of the 2-volume publication can be ordered at a cost of Euros 100 from:

ESA Publications Division
ESA/ESTEC
Postbus 299
2200 AG Noordwijk
The Netherlands

Email: esapub@esa.int
Fax: +31 71 565-5433

In agreement with the ESA Publications Division it has been decided to make the electronic version of the published papers available online on the XMM-Newton Web pages in a few months.

Remote SAS Capability in the XSA

Two of the main developments of the XMM-Newton project, are:
One of the most innovative elements of the XSA is its capability of processing at anytime and on the server at ESAC, any chosen data with the most up-to-date SAS version and calibration. Final scientific products are generated off-line, and have typically modest sizes, thus reducing the requirements on Internet connection bandwidth and largely removing the need for a local installation of the SAS. This capability can even be used for derivation of products which are not (yet) part of the standard archived processed data, like low-resolution spectra and/or light curves of specific sources.

The interactive generation of products through the XSA is performed through a rather sophisticated but easy-to-use user interface. Users can interactively select the source and background scientific products extraction regions on the observation field-of-view, and may screen the data prior to any accumulations, according to a large - but controlled - range of parameters.

We encourage the use of this functionality and welcome any feedback on all aspects of its use. You can mail the XMM-Newton Helpdesk at:

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

and please use "Remote SAS" in the subject line.

Research Fellowship at the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre

The European Space Agency offers astronomers and space scientists the possibility to hold ESA-funded Post-doctoral Research Fellowships. Details of the program can be found at:

   http://www.rssd.esa.int/?project=TOP&page=fellowships

Within this program ESA Internal Research Fellowships are available at the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre (in the European Space Astronomy Centre, located at Villafranca near Madrid, Spain), see:

   xmm.esac.esa.int/

Interviews are planned for June 2006. It is expected that a successful candidate would conduct research based on XMM-Newton data.

Applicants for this post should have a PhD in astrophysics or an equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline. Experience in medium to high resolution X-ray spectroscopy and the study of Hot Stars or Active Galactic Nuclei is desirable.

Please contact: N. Schartel (Norbert.Schartel@sciops.esa.int)


Yours sincerely,
XMM-Newton SOC