Some of the most exciting and novel results to emerge from the current generation of X-ray observatories, namely XMM-Newton and Chandra, are provided by the high spectral resolution of their dispersive spectrometers. In the case of XMM-Newton, the high resolving power of the Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS) is coupled to a very large collecting area, which makes this an ideal instrument for detailed spectroscopic investigations of faint and distant sources, from stars to active galaxies.
High resolution spectroscopy in the X-ray band has proven to be an invaluable diagnostic tool in detailed investigations of the dynamics and physical structure of X-ray sources, investigations which until recently could only be carried out on the closest of these sources, the Sun.
Now that XMM-Newton guest observations are routinely carried out and the data widely distributed to the astronomical community, the time is ripe for gathering a workshop to review the science results and explore the analysis techniques associated with grating observations; the aim is to focus on XMM-Newton RGS investigations and technical issues, without excluding, though, relevant work from the Chandra mission.
Workshop information
Further information about the workshop and MSSL may be found from the links below.
The proceedings of the workshop are being published on the Web, and will be copied to CD to provide a more permanent record. The bibliographical information for each paper has been submitted to ADS.
Presentations and WWW publication
Registration fee and workshop dinner
List of registered participants
Workshop organisers and contact information