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Chandra Electronic Bulletin No. 11


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             |              CCC  XX   XX    OOO           |
Chandra      |             CC     XX XX    OO OO          | CXC
Electronic   |            CC       XXX    OO   OO         | Number 11
Bulletin     |             CC     XX XX    OO OO          | February
             |              CCC  XX   XX    OOO           | 2002 
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Welcome to the Chandra X-ray Center's Electronic News Bulletin Number 11.

CXC Web site: cxc.harvard.edu

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

Contents:
1.  Chandra Cycle 4 Proposal Submission: Update  

2.  MARX 4.0 Now Available

3.  New Versions of Archive ChaSeR and WebChaSeR  

4.  No-Cost Extensions to Chandra Grants


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Item 1. Chandra Cycle 4 Proposal Submission: Update
===================================================

To all Proposers for Observing Time on the Chandra X-ray Observatory

NASA OSS recently circulated a notice (28 Jan 2002) concerning the new 
requirement that all proposers to NASA solicitations should register at the 
new OSS Proposal Web Site.

PLEASE NOTE: Chandra proposers are NOT required to do this. Submission of 
Chandra proposals will, as in previous cycles, be submitted to the Chandra 
X-ray Center at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory using the Remote 
Proposal Submission (RPS) software on our website. Please refer to our website 
(http://cxc.harvard.edu) for more information on Chandra and proposal 
submission for Cycle 4.

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Item 2. MARX 4.0 Now Available
==============================                              
                                                
See: http://space.mit.edu/CXC/MARX/index.html
                                                                            
MARX 4.0 is the recommended  release for use in Chandra A04 proposal planning.
This new release includes a number of features which users should find useful
for proposal simulations:
                                                                              
--Direct interface to CALDB data files. Where possible, all of the calibration
data files used by MARX are read from the CIAO CALDB files directly. This
change, although largely transparent to users, provides immediate consistency
between MARX simulations and analysis products (ARFs and RMFs) created using
the standard CIAO tools. MARX simulations can now be analyzed in exactly the
same manner as actual Chandra datasets.
 
--Improved ACIS CCD response model. MARX 4.0 now uses the ACIS FEF files
directly in order to simulate the CCD spectral response. Simulated ACIS CCD
spectra now include the complicated response structure of the actual detector
including low energy tails, escape peaks, etc. This change has the additional
benefit that MARX 4.0 simulations can be analyzed using standard RMF files
constructed using the MKRMF tool in CIAO.


--New ACIS pileup simulation. The PILEUP post-processing module in MARX has been
updated using a new model for photon pileup developed by John Davis. The same
model has been implemented in the ISIS and Sherpa spectral analysis software.
The combination of this new pileup simulation model with the existing ISIS or
Sherpa pileup fitting routine provides users with a self-consistent procedure
to evaluate the effects of photon pileup on their proposed observations.

--Dithered pileup simulation. Unlike the previous version, MARX 4.0 allows users
to produce simulations including the effects of both spacecraft dither and
pileup. Telescope dither is included as the default behaviour and the PILEUP
post-processing module can be used to simulate the effects of ACIS photon
pileup with no special configuration required.



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Item 3. New Versions of Archive ChaSeR and WebChaSeR 
====================================================       


We have released new versions of the Chandra Archive Search
and Retrieve application ChaSeR and the Web interface application
WebChaSeR.  The following is a list of fixed bugs and enhancements 
in this release:

ChaSeR:
=======
- In Detail display data and label were misalligned following OCAT
  modifications for NRA4; this has been fixed.
- Reset button on query form now clears all entries and restores the
  default query constraints.
- ChaSeR will return with an error when the connection to the server fails.
- Prevent server error on search with all checkboxes unchecked.
- Add row number to observation search results table.
- Parse/validate format of entered value for radius and prevent server
  error on wrong input.
- Disallow login with blank username and password.
- Fixed problem with public release date not displayed.


WebChaSeR:
==========
- Support password change.
- Added Name Resolver option using SIMBAD.
- Added choice of coordinate system and format for input and output
  coordinates.
- Limited to 50 the number of obsids selected for browse/retrieve data
  (still coming: information message to user).
- Hide ftp path of retrieved data while the tar files is being created.
- Added numbers to displayed obsid rows.
- Added row number to Browse results table.
- Added choice of ascending/descending sort order for displayed obsids.
- Fixed problem with public release date not displayed.
- Added support for change password.
- Disallow login with blank username and password.
- Generate a validation error on Browse/retrieve with both Primary and
  seconday unselected.
- Dynamically configure WebChaseR for installation at any server.
- No crashes on Search if everything is unselected.
- Parse/validate format of entered value for radius and prevent server
  error on wrong input.
- Error in one input field does not clear form anymore.

Two caveats:
============
- Selecting a range in galactic coordinates works reasonably well for
  small rectangles, as long as one stays away from the poles.  Large
  ranges and ranges covering the poles may give surprising results.

- For certain ObsIds retrieval of secondary and/or supporting products
  (e.g., aspect solutions) may not return all products that are required.

These enhancements are listed at http://cxc.harvard.edu/cda/whatsnew.html

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Item 4. No-Cost Extensions to Chandra Grants
============================================

A no-cost extension to your Chandra grant is allowable and can 
be initiated for one 12-month period if the analysis of the data
cannot be completed within the authorized Award period.  Rules
for no-cost extensions are in the Terms and Conditions which are
part of your Grant Award.  These are also on the web at:

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/sp/GO_TermsConds.htm#TERM


A second extension of the Award period will be awarded only in 
exceptional circumstances and must be well justified.  Such requests
must be submitted in writing at least 30-days prior to the end-date 
of the no-cost extension.

Late delivery of data or non-availability of analysis software are the
usual reasons for granting second no-cost extensions.


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Last modified: 12/03/10



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