Dear BeppoSAX user, this is the sixth BeppoSAX "e-mail news" message and covers the following topics: 1. AO2 accepted Core Program Target List 2. Status of the BeppoSAX Science Data Center 3. Opening of the BeppoSAX archive 1. AO2 accepted Core Program Target List - ------------------------------------- The list of the accepted targets in the AO2 Core Program (priority A and B) is now available and can be accessed on-line form our WEB pages. http://www.sdc.asi.it/ao_browser.html http://www.sdc.asi.it/ao2.html We remind you that the deadline for the AO2-Guest Observer Program is January 20 1998. 2. Status of the BeppoSAX Science Data Center - ------------------------------------------ Following the end of his contract with ASI one of the three scientists working at the SDC moved to other occupation. Since the beginning of December 1997 the scientific personnel of the SDC is therefore limited to two senior scientists, one junior scientist provided by Telespazio, and one WFC expert provided by SRON. This severe manpower shortage comes at a particularly difficult time, in the middle of AO2 activities and just after a major software and calibration release (see the fifth BeppoSAX e-mail news, Dec. 5th 1997). ASI is currently looking for a solution to the present man-power shortage. At this time a full service to the community cannot be guaranteed and several SDC activities can only be offered on a best effort basis. Service limitations will include: - Support for the AO2 Guest Observer Program Proposal submission tools like SPASS will still be available but cannot be fully supported - Helpdesk support It is now carried out on a best effort basis and response may be slow. - Software support Support to XAS software is reduced to a minimum since the scientist supporting the activity left the SDC. SAXDAS support is carried out on a best effort basis; significant limitations/delays in the support to the users are to be expected. - Pipeline processing and data distribution. There will be delays in the pipeline processing and in the data quality checks. Data distribution to PIs will take longer than in the past. We hope to be in a position to offer a more adequate level of support in the very near future. In the meantime we apologize for any inconvenience. 3. Opening of the public archive - ------------------------------ As previously announced, the BeppoSAX public archive is now open and SVP data acquired before December 31st 1996 can be requested. This service is however limited to FOT tapes to be requested to Telespazio. Scientific products (e.g. screened event lists) produced by the SDC are not yet available for most SVP observations. SVP data, together with a limited number of early AO1 pointings will be available on-line (from the SDC pages) starting from February 1998. Initially the archive will largely include revision 0.0, 0.1 and 0.2 data; indication of the data revision will be available from the web data access pages. The scientific quality of rev0.0, rev 0.1 and rev0.2 data is acceptable but do not include the most up to date calibration. PDS data are not available for rev0.2 or earlier processing. The access to the on-line archive will be essentially identical to that offered to all BeppoSAX PI. Details on how to access the SDC public archive will be given in the next issue of the BeppoSAX e-mail news which will also include the list of released observations. Data reprocessing (revision 1.1, including PDS data) will start soon and will take several months to complete, depending on the level of manpower available at the SDC. Revision 1.1 data will be included in the public archive when ready and after the expiration of the proprietary period. If you think that, for a better exploitation of BeppoSAX data, a high level of scientific support should be maintained at the SDC (which would imply a strengthening of the SDC current scientific resources) please send e-mail to helpdesk@sax.sdc.asi.it. We will forward your comments to ASI. Paolo Giommi and Fabrizio Fiore BeppoSAX Science Data Center