Chandra Newsletter

Contents
Issue 33 - Spring 2023

All CXC News Issues

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PKS 0637 and X-ray Jets From Quasars

Dan Schwartz, Aneta Siemiginowska

Jets are intrinsically tied to Chandra, dating to the very first observations from the summer of 1999. Dan Schwartz and Aneta Siemiginowska tell the story of how Chandra has defined this field of study, the lessons we have learned along the way, and the questions that still drive our curiosity.

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Director’s Log

Pat Slane

From a return to science of the HRC to the need for more reviewers in our Peer Review process, CXC Director Pat Slane provides a summary of what has been happening over the past year.

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Report from Project Science

Steve O'Dell, Steven Ehlert, Doug Swartz

With the retirement of Martin Weisskopf, the Project Science team has new leadership for the first time ever. Here they report on the status of the mission and provide a quick recap of some of the more exciting results since the last newsletter.

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Leisa Townsley (1964–2022)

Ann Hornschemeier Cardiff, Sarah Gallagher, Eric Feigelson

Leisa Townsley's passing in August of 2022 was a moment of great sadness for the entire Chandra community. She left a legacy not only for her visionary work and her leadership of ACIS, but also for her impact on everyone she worked with. Some of her colleagues pay tribute to her work and present an award being raised in her name.

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HRC Update

Grant Tremblay, Ralph Kraft, Paul Nulsen, Dan Patnaude, Tom Gauron, Almus Kenter, Ken Gage, Brad Bissell, Josh Model, Gerald Austin, Tom Aldcroft, Sabina Hurley, & Megan Lin

The HRC Team is delighted to report that the instrument has returned to normal science operations in the wake of the 2022 B-side anomaly. Grant Tremblay and colleagues provide an update on the current paradigm of HRC observations.

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LETG Update

Jeremy Drake, on behalf of the LETG Team

After a year of downtime, LETG is once again collecting data! Reporting rhapsodically with the rapture of the rebirth, Jeremy Drake's poetic pronouncement provides a particularly pleasing pastiche for LETG's return.

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ACIS Update

Paul Plucinsky, for the ACIS Team

After more than twenty-three years of operation, ACIS continues to be the scientific workhorse for Chandra. Paul Plucinsky, on behalf of the ACIS team, gives a rundown of recent updates to ensure the instrument's health and safety as well as some guidance to observers on how these changes will affect future observations.

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Chandra Calibration Update

Larry David

With a half-life of 2.7 years, the External Calibration Source is reaching the end of its usable life. Likewise, the warming ACIS focal plane requires a change to how the charge transfer inefficiency correction is implemented. Larry David provides an update on the state of Chandra Calibration and how the Calibration team is working to ensure the future accuracy of observations as the Observatory ages.

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Updates on the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program

Paul J. Green

A new cohort of fellows has been selected as part of the NASA Hubble Fellowship Program. Paul Green provides a recap of that selection process, introduces the 24 new fellows, updates us on some of the current fellows' initiatives, and sketches the last and next NHFP symposia.

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Next Issue

The next issue of the Chandra Newsletter will come out in Autumn 2023. We anticipate presenting updates on the upcoming 2.1 release of the Chandra Source Catalog, recaps of our Cycle 25 Peer Review and Summer Workshop, news of in-flight updates to the Observatory, and reports from the CXC manager and multiple CXC teams.

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The Chandra Newsletter is edited by Thomas Connor, with editorial assistance and layout by Tara Gokas. We welcome contributions from readers. Comments on the newsletter should be sent to: chandranews@cfa.harvard.edu.