GSFC XMM-Newton GOF Status Report #259: NASA XMM AO-13 Dear Colleague Letter

[Newsletter for users of the XMM-Newton mission <xmmnews@lists.nasa.gov>]

                                                  27 August 2013

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Contents:

1) XMM-Newton AO-13 Open - NASA "Dear Colleague" Letter
2) A Request for Feedback - Do You Use the XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue?

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1) XMM-Newton AO-13 Open - NASA "Dear Colleague" Letter

                                                  27 August 2013
Dear Colleague,

NASA is pleased to call to the attention of members of the U.S.
scientific community the release by the European Space Agency (ESA)
of the Announcement of Opportunity (AO), "XMM-Newton Call for
Observing Proposals", soliciting Guest Observing proposals for the
13th cycle (AO-13) observing program for ESA's X-ray Multi-Mirror
Mission (XMM-Newton).  The subject Announcement solicits proposals
for observations to be performed during a 12-month period commencing
in May 2014.  Due to the nature of the NASA-ESA bilateral agreement,
only proposals from scientists affiliated with U.S. institutions are
solicited by this Letter; others are advised to contact ESA directly.
U.S. scientists may propose either as Principal Investigators or as
Co-Investigators on proposals with either U.S. or non-U.S. (foreign
PI proposals) PIs.  The AO may be accessed directly from ESA at the
following address:

http://xmm.esac.esa.int/external/xmm_science/AO13/index.shtml

The XMM-Newton Guest Observer Facility (GOF) at the Goddard Space
Flight Center (GSFC) is the support center for XMM-Newton activities
in the U.S.  Information of interest to U.S. observers, as well as
general project information, can be found at the following address:

http://xmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/

A detailed description of the mission, including instrument
capabilities and additional information pertaining to the proposal
preparation and submission procedures, is also available via links
from the XMM-Newton home page at that address.  (General questions
concerning XMM-Newton and participation by U.S. investigators should be
addressed to xmmhelp@athena.gsfc.nasa.gov.)  ESA will be responsible
for conducting a peer review of all submitted proposals, including
those from U.S. investigators, and determining the associated time
allocation.  Current plans call for ESA to notify proposers and NASA
of the results of the peer review in mid-December 2013.

Subject to the outcome of the 2014 Senior Review of Operating 
Missions, NASA currently expects to allocate approximately $960K 
in Fiscal Year 2015 for a Guest Observer (GO) program to support 
the analysis, interpretation and publication of data obtained by U.S. 
proposers who are granted Open Time observing on XMM-Newton 
under AO-13. This level is comparable to the amount available for 
the support of US GOs for AO-10 through AO-12.  In light of the 
existing budgetary constraints, it is anticipated that only US PIs with 
Category "A" proposals will be invited to apply for support from the 
US XMM-Newton GO program for AO-13.  As for AO-12, U.S. PIs 
with lower ranked Category B proposals and U.S. Co-Is on foreign-PI 
Category A and B science proposals will be permitted to apply for 
funding from the Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP).  
Pending the results of the ESA selection of observing proposals 
submitted to AO-13 and of the 2014 NASA Senior Review (tentatively 
planned for March 2014), NASA will issue an update to this DCL to 
inform US proposers of any changes to the above.

For additional technical or programmatic information regarding U.S.
participation in the XMM-Newton mission, please contact:


Technical Information:           Dr. Steve Snowden
                                 Goddard Space Flight Center
                                 Code 662
                                 Greenbelt, MD  20771
                                 Tel:  (301) 286-8100
                                 Fax:  (301) 286-1684
                                 Steven.L.Snowden@nasa.gov

Programmatic Information:        Dr. Louis Kaluzienski
                                 Astrophysics Division
                                 Science Mission Directorate
                                 Mail Suite: 3W39
                                 NASA Headquarters
                                 300 E Street, SW
                                 Washington, DC  20546-0001
                                 Tel:  (202) 358-0365
                                 Louis.J.Kaluzienski@nasa.gov

Sincerely,

Dr. L. J. Kaluzienski
U.S. XMM-Newton Program Scientist

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2) A Request for Feedback - Do You Use the XMM-Newton Serendipitous 
   Source Catalogue?

Have you used the XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue?  Do you 
intend to do so?  The XMM GOF would like to hear from you.  Do you 
like the features, accessibility, and other aspects?  Are there 
improvements that you would like to see incorporated in the Catalog?

http://xmmssc-www.star.le.ac.uk/Catalogue/3XMM-DR4/
A service of the XMM-Newton GOF, NASA/GSFC

Please do not reply to this email.
Questions or comments should go to:
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/Feedback