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Chandra      |             CC     XX XX    OO OO          | CXC
Electronic   |            CC       XXX    OO   OO         | Number 79
Bulletin     |             CC     XX XX    OO OO          | 22 January 2009
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Welcome to the Chandra X-ray Center's Electronic News Bulletin Number 79.

CXC Web site: cxc.harvard.edu

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to let us know.  

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

Contents:

1.  CalDB Release 4.1.1 

2.  ACIS CTI_APP Keyword Required in CIAO4.1 and CALDB4.1.1 

3.  Registration now open for Workshop:      
    Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae in the Chandra Era  
 

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Item 1.  CalDB Release 4.1.1
============================


CalDB version 4.1.1 has been released 21 January 2009. It includes an 
update to the Chandra HRMA axial effective area, as derived
from updated ground and on-orbit raytrace models, as well
as a new method of weighting ground calibration data taken at the X-ray 
Calibration Facility pre-launch.  The largest affect this has is 
a ~9% relative reduction in the effective area over 0.06-2.0 keV with respect
to the previous version.

A result of the change is an improvement in high-temperature cluster modeling 
with the HRMA/ACIS-S and HRMA/ACIS-I configurations, with derived plasma 
temperatures more consistent between these two internal configurations, and 
better cross-calibration with the XMM telescope as well.


There is also a simultaneous adjustment of the HETG +/- first order 
grating efficiencies, to maintain the appropriate HEG/MEG cross-calibration.

For details, see the CalDB 4.1.1 release notes, to be posted at
http://cxc.harvard.edu/caldb4/downloads/Release_notes/CALDB_v4.1.1.html
and for more user information, please see
"How CalDB 4.1.1 Affects Your Analysis" at
http://cxc.harvard.edu/ciao4.1/releasenotes/ciao_4.1_release.html#HowCALDB4.1.1
AffectsYourAnalysis


Dale  Graessle

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Item 2.   ACIS CTI_APP Keyword Required in CIAO4.1 and CALDB4.1.1
=================================================================


As of CIAO4.1 and CALDB4.1, the new keyword CTI_APP is required in all
ACIS event files for many tools to work correctly.
We advise users to read the updated why topic
"ACIS CTI Correction" at http://cxc.harvard.edu/ciao4.1/why/cti.html
and in particular the section "ACIS CTI_APP Keyword Required" at
http://cxc.harvard.edu/ciao4.1/why/cti.html#cti_app

Several tools, scripts and threads are affected by this change and they
will either fail or return incorrect results if the CTI_APP header
keyword is missing.  A paragraph entitled 
"ACIS CTI_APP Keyword Required" is being added to
the "Get Started" section of all the affected threads.

Antonella Fruscione for the CIAO Team


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Item 3.   Registration for Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae in the 
Chandra Era
===============================================================================
=========


Registration and abstract submission is now open for
the Chandra-sponsored Science Workshop

    Supernova Remnants and Pulsar Wind Nebulae in the Chandra Era

to be held
   July 8-10, 2009 at the DoubleTree Guest Suites, Boston, MA

Please check the website
       http://cxc.harvard.edu/cdo/snr09
for full information, including invited speakers, accommodation 
information, and a workshop poster.

Deadlines for both registration and abstract submission are
          Wednesday, April 29, 2009
for contributed talks and poster presentations, and
          Wednesday, May 20, 2009
the final deadline for poster presentations only.

WORKSHOP GOALS:

X-ray observatories are advancing our understanding of a wide range of
astrophysical processes, and profoundly so in the field of supernova
remnants. The Chandra X-ray Observatory's superior spatial and
spectral resolution, for example, are probing the structure and
evolution of supernova remnant ejecta, diffusive shock acceleration
processes, and interactions between supernova remnants and pulsar wind
nebulae down to the sub-arcsecond level. This conference highlights
both observational and theoretical studies of SNR, emphasizing recent
X-ray observations of Galactic SNR. All aspects of SNR research will
be explored including shock acceleration, electron/ion temperature
equilibration, pulsar wind nebulae, connections between SNR ejecta and
SN processes, and SNR interactions with the circumstellar and
interstellar medium. The goals are to discuss outstanding problems in
SNR research, and the most direct path forward in coming years.


Paul Green
LOC Chair

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