In the coming year three new, major experiments are opening a new survey windowto the Universe through the first surveys for galaxy clusters using theSunyaev-Zeldovich effect. These efforts have been marked as one of the four mostpromising routes to tackle the problem of Dark Energy observationally. To fullyunderstand the results to be obtained we propose a comlementary X-ray survey inan area where the three major SZ experiments, SPT, APEX and ACT have focusedtheir efforts into a common test region covering an area of 12.5 deg2 in X-rays.XMM-Newton is the only instrument which can effectively provide such a surveyand it would be a pity if the XMM mission would miss this unique chance to helpopening this new window to the Universe.
Instrument
RGS1, EPN, RGS2, EMOS1, OM, EMOS2
Temporal Coverage
2007-05-25T09:36:21Z/2008-04-17T12:28:32Z
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, Prof Hans Boehringer, 2009, 'A Coordinated XMM comma SZE and Optical Survey for Galaxy Cluster Cosmology', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-i517rj8
