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Chandra      |             CC     XX XX    OO OO          | CXC
Electronic   |            CC       XXX    OO   OO         | Number 86
Bulletin     |             CC     XX XX    OO OO          | August
             |              CCC  XX   XX    OOO           | 2009
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Welcome to the Chandra X-ray Center's Electronic News Bulletin Number 86.

CXC Web site: cxc.harvard.edu

If you would like to unsubscribe from this alias, simply reply to this message
to let us know.  

Please use this website to update your address or email: 
          http://cxc.harvard.edu/cdo/udb/userdat.html

Contents:

1.  CIAO: Future Platform Support

2.  The Chandra Source Catalog in Google Earth

3.  Chandra's First Decade of Discovery

4.  Early Observation of Cycle 11 Targets

5.  The Next Chandra Science Workshop
 
 
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Item 1.  CIAO: Future Platform Support
======================================


CIAO: Future Platform Support


Dear CIAO users,

This is a heads-up email to inform you that the next CIAO release (CIAO
4.2 currently scheduled for December 2009) will *STOP OFFICIAL SUPPORT*
for the following platforms:

MacOSX 10.4 (Tiger) and 10.5 (Leopard) PPC
MacOSX 10.4 (Tiger) Intel
Solaris 9 and below

We hope that informing you in advance will help you in planning
a possible operating system upgrade or hardware purchase.

For your information we are also working on supporting CIAO for the new
MACOSX 10.6 (SnowLeopard) Intel operating system which Apple
plans to release in September 2009.

The full list of platforms currently planned for CIAO4.2 is therefore:

Solaris 10 (Sparc-family processor)
Linux (supporting most platforms including Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, SuSE)
Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) Intel
Mac OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard ) Intel (tentative)
Native 64 bits Linux and Mac (tentative)

Antonella Fruscione for the CIAO development team



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Item 2. The Chandra Source Catalog in Google Earth  
==================================================


Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) data may now be visualized using the Sky in
Google Earth interface.  Searching Sky is a quick and simple way to
learn if a Chandra observation of a source is included in CSC Release 1.

The interface to Sky in Google Earth makes use of Google Earth installed
on your personal computer, and is easy to download and use. In minutes,
3-color images from the CSC in the soft/medium/hard energy bands are
just a click away.  The area of the sky viewed by Chandra 
is readily available for observations included in
the CSC.

Users interested in trying out this new interface can go to

             http://cxc.cfa.harvard.edu/csc/googlecat/

or by clicking the "CSC Sky in Google Earth" link on the main catalog
website.

Release 1 of the CSC provides information about ~95,000 point and
compact X-ray sources detected in a subset of ACIS imaging observations
released publicly prior to the start of 2009.  The CSCview GUI is the
main user interface to query the catalog, and has recently been updated
with several usability enhancements.

All catalog interfaces, including CSCview and CSC Sky in Google Earth,
may be accessed from the main catalog web site:

                 http://cxc.cfa.harvard.edu/csc/

which also provides extensive user documentation, including a detailed
description of the catalog contents and their statistical properties.

--Ian N. Evans for The CSC Project Team


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Item 3.  Chandra's First Decade of Discovery
============================================

***ORAL PRESENTATIONS


The list of accepted contributions for Oral presentations at 
The Chandra's First Decade of Discovery symposium is now available from:
http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/

The decision process was very difficult due to the overwhelming number of high quality 
abstracts. Over 100 abstracts were submitted for less than 50 speaking opportunities.
Thus it was impossible to find time for all those wishing to speak.
All abstracts which were not chosen for speaking slots have been accepted as poster 
presentations. We will highlight the posters via long breaks, with coffee
and refreshments in the Poster rooms and a Poster viewing session Tuesday
evening, with food and drinks.

The deadline for abstracts for poster presentations is 21 August 2009


** REGISTRATION
Registration is open at
http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/registration.html.
Registration fees are $475 ($300 for students, $225 for guests)
on or before 4-September and $600 thereafter. There will be a $100
processing fee for all cancellations on or before 21-August, with no
refunds thereafter.

General and student registration includes two receptions, four
breakfasts, three lunches, and two breaks per day, plus a lunchtime
cruise aboard the Spirit of Boston. A guest registration fee includes
both receptions, all breakfasts and lunches, and one cruise ticket;
attendance at the talks and the breaks is not included.


** CHANDRA CALIBRATION REVIEW

The Chandra Calibration Review will occur on 21-September,  the day before
Chandra's First Decade of Discovery, also at the Seaport Boston. The
purpose of the Calibration Review is to share the
Chandra calibration teams' knowledge of the detectors and mirrors with
the community, while encouraging participation and feedback in the
process of calibrating the Observatory.
While there is no registration fee for this review, attendees must
register. Visit the CCR web site at http://cxc.harvard.edu/ccr/ for more
information and to register. Abstracts for the CCR may be submitted at
http://cxc.harvard.edu/ccr/present/abstract.html


** TRAVEL AND LODGING 
http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/travel.html

A block of rooms has been reserved for attendees of Chandra's First
Decade of Discovery and the Chandra Calibration Review at the Seaport
Hotel, which is adjacent to the World Trade Center. The room rate is
$249/night for a standard room (single or double occupancy) plus 12.45%
hotel taxes and a Hotel Inclusive Charge of $3 per room per night. For
more than two guests in a room, there will be a $25 charge per person
per night.  This rate is valid until 21 August.



** THEATER EVENTS AT THE CHARLES PLAYHOUSE

Wednesday, September 23 at 7:00 p.m. EDT
Group tickets are available for two different theatrical events at the 
Charles Playhouse on Wednesday night.  These are optional events not 
included in the registration fee. Tickets are $50 per person, which includes 
transportation to and from the Playhouse. Ticket numbers are limited. The 
deadline for purchasing theater tickets is 21 August 2009.


SHEAR MADNESS, “the uproarious whodunit where the audience gets to solve 
the crime.” Recommended for 13 years old and up, but all ages are permitted.

BLUE MAN GROUP “is a multi-media, multi-sensory theatrical journey that 
features three bald and blue characters backed by a three-piece band.” 
Children under 5 years old are not permitted at the show.


** SYMPOSIUM WEB SITE

The most current information on the Symposium can be found on the web
site
http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/index.html.
In particular, news and announcements will be posted at
http://cxc.harvard.edu/symposium_2009/announce.html.

Scott Wolk, Doug Swartz and Antonella Fruscione


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Item 4.  Early Observation of Cycle 11 Targets
==============================================


A number of Cycle 11 targets will be observed over the next few months in 
order to maintain an efficient observing schedule. PIs/Observers are asked to 
respond to requests to confirm their observation parameters as promptly as 
possible. PLEASE NOTE: in the case of a non-response, observations required in 
an upcoming schedule may proceed without final PI/Observer approval. In such 
cases the observations will be carefully checked by USINT and any changes 
documented and approved by CDO.


 Belinda Wilkes    
 Assistant Director 
 Chandra X-ray Center (CXC)


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Item 5.  THE NEXT CHANDRA SCIENCE WORKSHOP 
==========================================


The CXC organizes Chandra Science Workshops on topics of interest
to observers and theorists alike.  Workshop goals are to optimize 
Chandra science productivity by     
        * identifying science areas ripe for progress
        * identifying the most pressing scientific questions   
        * debating good Chandra strategies to answer them

Past workshops are listed at http://cxc.harvard.edu/cdo/past-conf.html
This year's Chandra Science Workshop on Supernova Remnants and Pulsar 
Wind Nebulae in the Chandra Era  (http://cxc.harvard.edu/cdo/snr09)  
was a great success.  Thanks to all participants! 

We are soliciting ideas for another such workshop for July 2010.  The 
scope should be likely to attract between 80-120 attendees, and span 2-3 
days duration.   If you suggest a meeting topic, please include a brief 
description of the motivation(s) for such a workshop keeping in mind the 
above goals, and feel free to suggest some likely members of a 
Scientific Organizing Committee.

Paul Green
for the Chandra Director's Office
pgreen@cfa.harvard.edu



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