XMM-Newton-NEWS

XMM-Newton-NEWS  #133,    02-Mar-2012

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

• Pipeline processing carried out by the SOC
• Users Group Meeting #13: invitation from UG to contact them for comments
• "Galaxy Clusters as Giant Cosmic Laboratories": Deadline for abstract submission
• Let us know about XMM-Newton related Ph.D.
• Meeting announcement: "The Second LOFT Science Meeting"

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Pipeline processing carried out by the SOC

As of 1^st March 2012, pipeline processing of XMM-Newton science data is being routinely carried out by the Science Operations Centre (SOC) at ESAC.

This follows the successful transfer to the SOC of the processing system developed by the XMM-Newton Survey Science Centre (SSC) led by Leicester University. The SSC consortium have, to date, developed and operated the pipeline processing on behalf of ESA. In the future the SSC will have a continuing project role which will focus on the production of a 3XMM catalogue, whilst also continuing with its contribution to the routine scientific screening of the pipeline products, SAS development and the generation of cross-correlation products via the ACDS (Archival Catalogue and Database Subsystem) at Strasbourg Astronomical Observatory. This change in operational responsibilities is not expected to have any impact on XMM-Newton users.

Users Group Meeting #13: invitation from UG to contact them for comments

The XMM-Newton Users Group (UG) will hold its yearly meeting next 19^th and 20^th April at ESAC. As on previous occasions, we invite all XMM-Newton users to send to any of the members of the UG or to myself, the UG chair, any topics that you deem need to be discussed at the meeting. Remember that our remit is to indicate to the project those areas where actions need to be taken to improve the operations and the scientific return of the mission. For this we absolutely need your input.

Note the new UG membership:

     X. Barcons (chair), M. Cappi, A. Decourchelle, C. Done, M. Güdel, F. Haberl, M. Mendez, R.F. Mushotzky and C. Sarazin.

Thanks for your help,

Xavier Barcons, Chair, XMM-Newton Users Group

A dedicated Web page of the Users Group is available at:

     http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/usersgroup/

This Web page provides, among other information, the contact points for all interested astronomers to send their comments to the UG members.

"Galaxy Clusters as Giant Cosmic Laboratories":
Deadline for abstract submission

We take the opportunity to remind on today's deadline for the abstract submission for the XMM-Newton Workshop "Galaxy Clusters as Giant Cosmic Laboratories".

Please submit your abstracts by the end of today through the Workshop Web page at:

     http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/workshops/2012_science/

Let us know about XMM-Newton related Ph.D.

The XMM-Newton team is collecting information about the completion of doctorates and Ph.D. theses based on (or making use of) XMM-Newton observations since the launch of the mission.

This information is one of the measures of the scientific impact of XMM-Newton and represents an important support for the mission. Ideally, it is our intention to collect the complete list of Ph.D. works based on XMM-Newton data and this is why we need your help.

We would appreciate if you - being a candidate or supervisor of a doctorate - could let us know the following details:

• Year of the thesis
• Candidate's name
• Supervisor's name
• Institution
• Thesis Title
• Statement that the thesis is either based on, or making use of, XMM-Newton observations

Please contact us through the helpdesk at:

     http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_user_support/helpdesk.shtml

sending an e-mail with Subject: "Ph.D. thesis work". The message can be flagged as private. In any case, all provided information will be handled confidentially.

Meeting announcement: "The Second LOFT Science Meeting"

The LOFT consortium is pleased to announce the Second LOFT Science Meeting, that will be held in Toulouse (France) from 24^th to 27^th September 2012.

LOFT, the Large Observatory For X-ray Timing, is one of the four ESA Cosmic Vision mission candidates competing for a launch opportunity at the start of 2020s. Following the successful first science meeting, the LOFT Consortium is pleased to invite the community to discover the progresses achieved in the instruments design and contribute to finalising the LOFT Yellow Book.

Information about registration and abstract submission can be found at the meeting official web-page:

     http://www.isdc.unige.ch/loft/index.php/meetings/second-loft-science-meeting



Yours sincerely,
XMM-Newton SOC