Suzaku News #64: An important note to all US users of Suzaku

[suzakunews@lists.nasa.gov]

---------

An important note to all US users of Suzaku

The biennial NASA Senior Review of its operating astrophysics missions
will take place in early 2010.  The missions included in this review are
Suzaku, Chandra, XMM-Newton, RXTE, Swift, INTEGRAL, WMAP, GALEX, and Spitzer.
The decisions made during this review will determine for these missions
the operating budgets and the level of guest observer funding within the
US for fiscal years 2011 and 2012.  The available funding, as always, is
limited.  The decisions made at the 2008 Senior Review led to a significant
reduction in funding for support of US X-ray observers (XMM-Newton and
Suzaku).  The US Suzaku project team needs the help of US-based scientists
if it is to make its strongest possible case for renewal, and for
maintaining or restoring the funding available to support the US X-ray
astronomy community.  Very simply, we ask you do the following:

1.  If you are the PI of a Suzaku proposal or are analyzing archival data,
please complete your data analysis and submit your results to a refereed 
journal as quickly as possible (preferably before the end of March 2010),
and notify the US Suzaku GOF when you've done so.  Critical measures of the
productivity of a mission include the fraction of data that has led to
publications and the number of publications.

2.  If you have a Suzaku result that you believe is newsworthy, please
bring it to our attention.  GSFC and NASA Headquarters both have capable
press offices eager to publicize exciting scientific findings.  Members
of the GOF staff can serve as the interface with the press offices.

3.  Submit proposals for new Suzaku observations.  The due date for the
current observing cycle is November 20.  Take advantage of the opportunity
to submit proposals for long observations and key projects.

Thank you very much for your continued interest in Suzaku.  Suzaku is
a resource for the astronomical community, and will stay available only
as long as the community uses and supports it.