eROSITA, successfully launched in mid-2019, will perform multiple all-sky X-raysurveys. Monitoring roughly half a million AGN/quasars, eROSITA will identifyrare, accretion ignition/depletion events as they occur. To explore how theX-ray corona and accretion disk respond to a sudden, major change in accretionrate, the identified sources need medium signal to noise XMM-Newton ToO(EPIC+OM) observations to derive meaningful spectral constraints. Thus, wepropose 10 ToOs (five with 10 ks -- ignition event; five with 60 ks -- depletionevent) each joint with VLT FORS2 imaging and spectroscopy (for each ToO 1 hour)for optical counterpart localization and tracking the Broad Line Region.sresponses.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2020-12-22T10:07:25Z/2022-04-26T10:24:17Z
Version
19.17_20220121_1250
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 Mirko Krumpe, 2023, 'eROSITA follow-up of rare and dramatic changes in AGN', 19.17_20220121_1250, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.57780/esa-qbanx8a
