The FIRST Flat Spectrum Sample (FFSS) is a deep radio-selected sample, unbiasedwith respect to x-ray emission. It is designed to enable us to determine thetrue census of the different types of blazars, resolving a long-standinguncertainty, and the first step towards understanding how Nature makes jets.This proposal aims to determine the type of FIRST blazars, which is easilydetermined from radio-optical-X color and basic information about X-ray spectrum(hardness ratios). We propose to complete the x-ray characterization of a firstFFSS subsample by observing the 17 sources for which no X-ray informationcurrently exists. With this information we will be able to answer the keyquestion: What kind of jets does Nature make?
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2006-06-05T17:33:38Z/2007-03-23T14:49:45Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr Giovanni Fossati, 2008, 'X-ray characterization of the FIRST Flat Spectrum Sample', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-r2nfx09
