| RXTE GOF |
RXTE News | RXTE FAQ |
|---|
Latest News:
RXTE Workshop to follow Fermi Symposium
RXTE Returns to Normal Operations
RXTE in Inertial Hold on IGR J17511-3057 due to Spacecraft Anomaly
RXTE Anomaly Effects Observations on Sept. 10-11
List of Previous RXTE News Items
Archive of Messages sent to XTENEWS Mailing List
Archive of all RXTE Publications (RXTE Results page)
Featured RXTE Press Releases (1998-present)
RXTE Workshop to follow Fermi Symposium
October 12, 2009
On Thursday afternoon, November 5, there will be an RXTE Workshop in Washington, D.C., following the Fermi Symposium. Details can be found at the RXTE Workshop Web site.
RXTE Returns to Normal Operations
October 2, 2009
On October 2, 2009, RXTE resumed normal observations after an extended observation of IGR J17511-3057 due to a spacecraft anomaly. The on-board telemetry monitoring system has been modified to avoid responding to invalid telemetry values. Aside from these occasional readings, the spacecraft appears to be in good health.
RXTE in Inertial Hold on IGR J17511-3057 due to Spacecraft Anomaly
September 23, 2009
At 13:35 UT on September 21, while observing the target PSR J1811-1925, RXTE disabled slews when an on-board monitoring system noticed repeated anomalous voltage readings. An initial investigation by the flight operations team (FOT) and supporting engineers determined that the spacecraft was in a safe, stable condition, and that the anomaly was unlikely to be due to actual changes in the voltage. Based on these findings a short maneuver was done to point to the target IGR J17511-3057 at 21:48 UT, and slews were then disabled by the FOT. Engineers are investigating the root cause of the anomalous readings and discussing possible strategies for resuming operations. Currently RXTE remains in a safe, stable condition with slews disabled and is likely to continue to observe only IGR J17511-3057 for at least the next several days.
RXTE Anomaly Effects Observations on Sept. 10-11
September 11, 2009
RXTE experienced an anomaly on September 10 that caused the observing plan to be suspended at 253/05:39:40 UT. The plan resumed on September 11 at 254/16:02:00 UT. In the interim, the target of observation at the time of the anomaly, 4U 1636-53, continued to be observed. However the preplanned changes in observing modes remained in effect, so that the data modes vary over time. These observations will have OBSIDs starting with 94437. The OBSID starting with 94310 that was in the plan for 4U 1636-53 should be normal.
The anomaly appears to have begun with a bus controller "freezing" for a fraction of a second during passage of the South Atlantic Anomaly. Communications on the bus recovered within seconds, but not before misreads on the solar array drive mechanism occurred. These triggered an on-board response to call for disabling the slews to subsequent targets as a precautionary measure.
Since then, telemetry has been normal. The event is thought to be related to known infrequent chance occurrences, but relevant data is being examined closely.
Previous RXTE News Items
Other RXTE News Items, by Year
2009:
-
Improvements to the PCA Response Matrix
Now Available(August 19, 2009)
Reminder: Cycle 14 Proposals are Due August 13 at 17:00 EDT(August 4, 2009)
RXTE Cycle 14 Information for Proposers(June 18, 2009)
RXTE Discovers Pulsations of New SGR (June 10, 2009)
RXTE Mission Extended Through Sept. 2010 (May 12, 2009)
Timing Error Fixed in January 2006 data (January 16, 2009)
Recommended Cycle 13 Open Time Targets (January 15, 2009)
-
PCA: Filter Out Breakdown
Events (December 16, 2008)
Two Black Holes Teach Astronomers a
Lesson (October 15, 2008)
RXTE Cycle 13 Announced (September 19, 2008)
RXTE SOF Realtime Data Area Has Moved (August 14, 2008)
New RXTE Mission-Long Data Products (May 12, 2008)
RXTE Discovers Stellar Ticking Time Bomb Explodes on Cue (April 30, 2008) RXTE Finds Smallest Known Black Hole (April 1, 2008)
Powerful Explosions Suggest Neutron Star Missing Link (February 21, 2008)
PCA SAA History File Production Resumes (February 1, 2008)
Temporary Interruption of PCA SAA History File Production (January 22, 2008)
ASM Source Intensity Errors for Sources in Crowded Fields (infrequent but significant) (January 2008)
2007:
-
IMPORTANT: Problems and Corrections to RXTE PCA
Background (September 18, 2007)
Bizarre Planet-Mass Object Found Orbiting Neutron Star (September 12, 2007)
Brief period of incomplete Archive-mode data from HEXTE Cluster A (May 21, 2007)
Recommended Cycle 12 Targets Released! (May 2, 2007) RXTE Archive Downtime: 18:00 Jul 13 - 12:00 Jul 14, EDT (July 11, 2007)
RXTE Cycle 12 Proposal Deadline is Past! Review Preparations Underway! (March 23, 2007)
RXTE Cycle 12 Update & Deadline Reminder (January 26. 2007)
TNO Occultations May Be Instrumental Deadtime January 16, 2007
PCU 1 Loses Top Propane Layer (January 12, 2007)
2006:
-
New RXTE Software Available
(HEAsoft 6.1.2) (December 8, 2006)
Active Galactic Nuclei as scaled-up Galactic Black Holes (December 7, 2006)
RXTE Catches Black Hole Spinning at near Light Speed (November 20, 2006)
RXTE Cycle 12 Announced (October 23, 2006)
HEXTE Cluster "A" Now Fixed-Pointing (October 20, 2006)
RXTE Used to Detect Trans-Neptunian Objects (August 10, 2006)
New PCA Background Models Released August 6, 2006
Pulsar Quakes Now Predictable! (June 5, 2006)
Cycle 11 Budget Deadline Has Passed (March 20, 2006)
RXTE Discovers source of Galactic X-ray Background ( February 22, 2006)
Information for Submitting Cycle 11 Budgets (February 7, 2006)
RXTE Researchers receive Rossi Prize! (January 18, 2006)
Hot New RXTE Results from the AAS Meeting in Washington, D.C. (January 11, 2006)
HEXTE Cluster A Rocking Anomaly (January 8, 2006)
2005:
-
Recommended RXTE Cycle 11 Targets Released! (November 28, 2005)
RXTE Birthday Party & Mini-Conference (October 18, 2005)
RXTE Cycle 11: NSPIRES Guidance (September 15, 2005)
RXTE Cycle 11: Important Changes (June 29, 2005)
HEXTE Cluster A News (January 26, 2005)
Cycle 10 Budget Information Now Available (January 25, 2005)
RXTE Sees Hot Matter "Surf" Around Black Hole (January 10, 2005)
2004:
-
Recommended RXTE Cycle 10 Targets Released! (December 3, 2004)
Cycle 10 Deadline Past---Proposals are In! (September 28, 2004)
RXTE & XMM Squeeze Neuton Star Equation of State (September 8, 2004))
RXTE Cycle 10 Proposal Due Date Extended to September 20, 2004; GO Funding May Increase! (July 27, 2004)
Michiel van der Klis wins NWO Spinoza prize! (June 24, 2004)
RXTE Cycle 10: Shaping the Next Decade of XTE Science! (June 14, 2004)
New Email Addresses to Contact the RXTE Science Operations Facility (SOF) (May 4, 2004)
Corrected Faint Background Models now Available (April 13, 2004)
March 2004 RXTE Paper of the Month (April 2004)
RXTE Sees Superburst Effect Accretion Disk in Real Time (March 18, 2004)
New! RXTE-related Astronomical Notices (March 17, 2004)
RXTE Catches Morphing Magnetar (January 28, 2004)
2003:
-
Recommended RXTE
Cycle 9 Targets Released! (December 1, 2003)
Cosmic Brakes for Pulsars? (July 2, 2003)
Instructions for RXTE Cycle 9 Proposers Now on Web (June 13, 2003)
Recent RXTE Science Results (from HEAD Meeting) (June 1, 2003)
HEXTE Resumes Normal Operations After Short Interruption (April 3, 2003)
Stage 2 Budget Information (March 12, 2003)
Realtime Pseudo-Production Data Just Got Better! (March 5, 2003)
Cycle 8 Approved Observing Program (February 11, 2003)
Kouveliotou Shares Rossi Prize for RXTE Result! (January 15, 2003)
2002:
-
RXTE Cycle 8 Deadline has Passed! (November 26, 2002)
RXTE Detects Strongest Known Magnetic Field (November 4, 2002 )
The Nature of Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (September 12, 2002)
New FTOOLS for Our Trade (June 25, 2002)
RXTE Breaks Six Figures, Shares with Public (June 12, 2002)
Discovery of Fastest Known Accreting Millisecond Pulsar (April 12, 2002)
Black Holes play the Same Tune (April 09, 2002)
New and Improved Background Models Released on New and Improved PCA Digest Page! (February 27, 2002)
If you have a question about RXTE, please send email to one of our help desks.