XMM-Newton Latest News

 

For older news stories regarding XMM-Newton please visit the News Archive

Unlocking the secrets of the first Quasars 20-Nov-2024
Unlocking the secrets of the first Quasars: how they defy the laws of Physics to grow
New evidence has been discovered explaining how supermassive black holes formed in the first billion years of the Universe's life. The study, conducted by INAF researchers, analyses 21 distant quasars and reveals that these objects are in a phase of extremely rapid accretion. This provides valuable insights into their formation and evolution, together with that of their host galaxies.[...] The study, led by researchers of the National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), analyses a sample of 21 quasars, among the most distant ever discovered, observed in the X-rays band by the XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes.
Further details on Inaf.it web portal.

Quasi-periodic eruptions 11-Nov-2024
Quasi-periodic eruptions from eRO-QPE2 are remarkably stable, study finds
An international team of astronomers has inspected long-term evolution of quasi-periodic eruptions (QPEs) from a QPE source designated eRO-QPE2. The study found that QPEs from this source are remarkably stable over the investigated period of over three and a half years. The finding was reported November 1 on the pre-print server arXiv.[...] Follow-up observations of eRO-QPE2 with ESA's XMM-Newton satellite have revealed that it exhibits QPEs with intrinsic luminosities oscillating between approximately 0.12 and 1.2 tredecillion erg/s in the 0.5–2-keV band.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

AO-24 Closed 14-Oct-2024

XMM-Newton Announcement of Opportunity (AO-24) Closed

The XMM-Newton Twenty-fourth Announcement of Opportunity (AO-24) closed on the 11th of October 2024.

In total, 462 valid proposals were received. This Announcement of Opportunity covers a period of one year, with 12 Ms of observing time available for distribution. A total of 86.3 Ms of science time were requested. The over-subscription factor is 7.2.

A total of 36 proposals were received for Large Programmes, and 13 for Fulfil Programmes. Anticipated Target of Opportunity observations were requested in 65 proposals.

For the joint programmes, 94 proposals were submitted: 42 request time for the XMM-NuSTAR programme, 24 for the XMM-HST programme, 11 for the XMM-SWIFT programme, 10 for the XMM-VLT programme, 9 for the XMM-Chandra programme, 6 for the XMM-JWST programme, 10 for the XMM-NRAO programme and 1 for the MAGIC programme.

SOC received proposals from 381 different principal investigators from 32 countries. Considering principal investigators and co-investigators, about 1600 individual scientists were involved in the response to the Twenty-fourth Announcement of Opportunity.

New observations 09-Sept-2024
New observations shed more light on the nature of a millisecond pulsar binary
Using ESA's XMM-Newton satellite, European astronomers have performed X-ray observations of a millisecond pulsar binary known as PSR J1431−4715. Results of the observational campaign, published September 3 on the pre-print server arXiv, provide more insights into the nature of this system.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

AO-24 Opening 20-Aug-2024

XMM-Newton Announcement of Opportunity (AO-24)

Letter of Invitation by the ESA Director of Science

Dear Colleague,

I am pleased to invite you to respond to the 24th Announcement of Opportunity to submit proposals for observations to be performed with the XMM-Newton observatory.

This Announcement solicits proposals to be carried out between May 2025 and April 2026. Proposers from institutes located worldwide are welcome to participate. All proposals will be subject to peer review by the XMM-Newton Observing Time Allocation Committee.

The detailed schedule of milestones of the announcement, the required software tools and the documentation are available from

http://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/xmm-newton/ao24

I would appreciate if you would distribute this invitation to interested colleagues. I wish you every success in using the XMM-Newton observatory.

Yours sincerely,
Prof. Carole Mundell
Director of Science

Key milestones for this announcement

Announcement of Opportunity 20 August 2024
Due date for Proposals 11 October 2024 (12:00 UT)
Final OTAC approved program late December 2024

 

Timeline for Phase II proposal submission

After the cycle of proposal submission and selection, the observation details for successful proposals must be entered into the observatory system. This is done during "Phase II" proposal submission.

Find below for your information the anticipated timeline for that eventual Phase II:

Start of Phase II proposal submission 8 January 2025
Closure of Phase II proposal submission 31 January 2025

 

Further details on the XMM-Newton SOC web portal.

NASA telescopes work out black hole 14-Aug-2024
NASA telescopes work out black hole's feeding schedule
By using new data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory as well as ESA's XMM-Newton, a team of researchers has made important headway in understanding how—and when—a supermassive black hole obtains and then consumes material. A paper describing these results appears on the arXiv preprint server, and will be published in The Astrophysical Journal.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

Abell 2390 16-Jul-2024
XMM-Newton shows million-degree gas in Abell 2390
Scientists have combined Euclid’s recently released image of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 2390 with XMM-Newton’s X-ray observation of the same site to showcase the blazing hot gas that fills the space between the galaxies. In the image, the light captured by XMM-Newton appears as a blue glow that permeates the expanses between the galaxies. The diffuse light is brighter towards the centre of the cluster, indicating that there the gas becomes hotter and more concentrated.
Further details on ESA web portal.

Supernova 5-Jul-2024
Fresh wind blows from historical supernova
A mysterious remnant from a rare type of supernova recorded in 1181 has been explained for the first time. Two white dwarf stars collided, creating a temporary “guest star,” now labeled supernova (SN) 1181, which was recorded in historical documents in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. However, after the star dimmed, its location and structure remained a mystery until a team pinpointed its location in 2021.
Further details on UTokio web portal.

Exoplanets 1-Jul-2024
NASA's Chandra Checks Habitability of Exoplanets
Based on X-ray observations of some of these stars using data from Chandra and XMM-Newton, the research team examined which stars could have hospitable conditions on orbiting planets for life to form and prosper. They studied how bright the stars are in X-rays, how energetic the X-rays are, and how much and how quickly they change in X-ray output, for example, due to flares. Brighter and more energetic X-rays can cause more damage to the atmospheres of orbiting planets.
Further details on NASA’s Chandra web portal.

rapidly-cooling-pulsars-ultra-dense-matter 24-Jun-2024
Spinning pulsar stars may contain ultra-dense matter that's not found anywhere else in the Universe
Astronomers examined pulsar PSR J0205+6449 at the supernova remnant's centre, and other pulsars like it, using the Chandra X-ray Observatory and ESA’s XMM-Newton telescope.
Further details on BBC Sky and night magazine web portal.

Too young to be so cool: lessons from three neutron stars 21-Jun-2024
Too young to be so cool: lessons from three neutron stars
ESA’s XMM-Newton and NASA’s Chandra spacecraft have detected three young neutron stars that are unusually cold for their age. By comparing their properties to different neutron star models, scientists conclude that the oddballs’ low temperatures disqualify around 75% of known models. This is a big step towards uncovering the one neutron star ‘equation of state’ that rules them all, with important implications for the fundamental laws of the Universe.
Further details on ESA’s Science & Exploration web portal.

Brandt6-2024 12-Jun-2024
How do supermassive black holes get super massive?
Combined X-ray surveys and supercomputer simulations track 12 billion years of cosmic black-hole growth[...]. The research team used complementary data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, the European Space Agency’s X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission-Newton (XMM-Newton), and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics’ eROSITA telescope.
Further details on Eberly College of Science web portal.

spider-pulsar 31-May-2024
Study investigates a massive 'spider' pulsar
Recently, Stanford University's Andrew Sullivan and Roger Romani employed ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft to take a closer look at J2215. Based on the XMM-Newton data, they produced orbital light curves of J2215 and used them to model the system properties.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

first-analysis-of-stellar-winds-from-three-sun-like-stars-N24939 13-May-2024
First analysis of stellar winds from three sun-like stars
An international research team, including a CNRS researcher (see box), has for the first time detected X-ray emissions from the astrospheres of three solar-type stars, thus providing new constraints on the mass loss rates of these stars. This study, based on observations with the XMM-Newton space telescope, is published in Nature Astronomy in April 2024.
Further details on Techno-Science.net web portal.

news20240430 3-May-2024
Cosmic dance of the ‘Space Clover’
Leveraging the advanced capabilities of the XMM-Newton telescope and the complementary multi-wavelength observations, the team unveiled the origin of the ORC as a cosmic dance of two galaxy groups.
Further details on Max Planck Institute web portal.

No_afterglow_in_X-rays_and_visible_light_from_a_giant_magnetar_flare 24-Apr-2024
No afterglow in X-rays and visible light from a giant magnetar flare
To learn more about the explosion, scientists swiftly directed XMM-Newton to observe in X-rays, and used ground-based optical telescopes, including the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) to follow-up in visible light.
Further details on ESA web portal.

Telescopes-Paint-Stunning-View-Of-Galaxy-Cluster-With-Black-Hole-Jets 8-Apr-2024
Telescopes Paint Stunning View Of Galaxy Cluster With Black Hole Jets
Views of a massive galaxy cluster Abell 2256 have been captured by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, ESA’s XMM-Newton and three radio telescopes (LOFAR, the GMRT and the VLA). See a composite of all the views here. Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart
Further details on Space.com web portal.

persistent-hiccups-draws-astronomers-new-black-hole-behavior-0327 1-Apr-2024
Persistent “hiccups” in a far-off galaxy draw astronomers to new black hole behavior
“This is a brilliant example of how to use the debris from a disrupted star to illuminate the interior of a galactic nucleus which would otherwise remain dark. It is akin to using fluorescent dye to find a leak in a pipe,” says Richard Saxton, an X-ray astronomer from the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in Madrid, who was not involved in the study.
Further details on MIT News web portal and Astronomický ústav AV ČR youtube channel.

2024-03-cataclysmic-variable-astronomers 1-Apr-2024
New cataclysmic variable discovered by astronomers
By analyzing the data from ESA's XMM-Newton and Gaia satellites, astronomers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) in Germany and elsewhere have detected a new magnetic cataclysmic variable system, most likely of the polar type.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

stunning-echo-of-800-year-old-explosion 26-Mar-2024
Marvel at stunning echo of 800-year-old explosion
In the year 1181 a rare supernova explosion appeared in the night sky, staying visible for 185 consecutive days [...]. X-ray observations by ESA’s XMM-Newton show the full extent of the nebula and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory pinpoints its central source.
Further details on ESA web portal.

variability-nearby-ultra-fast-rotating 07-Mar-2024
Observations inspect variability of a nearby ultra-fast rotating active star
Results of the observational campaign, published February 29 on the pre-print server arXiv, provide crucial insights into the short-term and long-term variability of this star. [...] Analyzed data was mainly from ESA's XMM-Newton satellite.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

black-hole-tantrum 01-Feb-2024
XMM-Newton spots a black hole throwing a tantrum
Until now, this ultra-fast 'black hole wind' had only been detected coming from extremely bright accretion discs, which are at the limit of how much matter they can draw in. This time, XMM-Newton detected ultra-fast wind in a distinctly average galaxy which you could say was 'only snacking'.
Further details on ESA’s Science & Exploration web portal.

NASA-Scientists-Discover-a-Novel-Galactic-Fossil 17-Jan-2024
NASA Scientists Discover a Novel Galactic ‘Fossil’
Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have discovered X-ray activity that sheds light on the evolution of galaxies. The work was made possible thanks to data collected by the ESA (European Space Agency) satellite XMM-Newton with help from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Further details on NASA web portal.

astronomers-bex-ray-binary 16-Jan-2024
Astronomers discover new Be/X-ray binary system
Astronomers from the Open University in Milton Keynes, UK and elsewhere report the detection of a new Be/X-ray binary. The newfound system, designated 4XMM J182531.5–144036, exhibits persistent X-ray emission. 4XMM J182531.5–144036 was initially detected as a hard X-ray source in April 2008 with ESA's XMM-Newton satellite.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

super-Eddington-neutron-star 11-Jan-2024
NGC 2403 XMM4 is a super-Eddington neutron star, study finds
By analyzing the data from various space telescopes, astronomers have performed a detailed study of an ultraluminous X-ray source known as NGC 2403 XMM4. They analyzed 20 years of observational data from XMM-Newton, Chandra, Swift and NuSTAR space telescopes.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

researchers-investigate-pulsations-of-the-ultra-luminous-X-ray-pulsar-M82-X-2 08-Jan-2024
Researchers investigate pulsations of the ultra-luminous X-ray pulsar M82 X-2
Using NASA's Chandra spacecraft and ESA's XMM-Newton satellite, Chinese astronomers have inspected the pulsations of an ultra-luminous X-ray pulsar known as M82 X-2. Results of the study indicate that the pulsar showcases a long-term spin-down trend.
Further details on Phys.org web portal.

the-elusive-atmosphere-of-wasp-12-b-high-resolution-transmission-spectroscopy-with-carmenes 06-Jan-2024
The Elusive Atmosphere Of WASP-12 b / High-resolution Transmission Spectroscopy With CARMENES
To date, the hot Jupiter WASP-12 b has been the only planet with confirmed orbital decay. The late F-type host star has been hypothesized to be surrounded by a large structure of circumstellar material evaporated from the planet. [...] To constrain the enigmatic activity state of WASP-12, we analyzed XMM-Newton X-ray data.
Further details on Astrobiology web portal.