Date: Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:26:52 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Release of CUBISM, new version of IRSCLEAN_MASK, and upcoming workshop

Contents of mailing:

1. Premiere release of CUBISM software package
2. Release of new version of IRSCLEAN_MASK
3. Upcoming "Extragalactic Surveys" workshop sponsored by the Chandra
X-ray Center


1. Premiere release of CUBISM software package


Release of CUBISM, Version 1.01, Aug 21, 2006
---------------------------------------------
The Spitzer Science Center is pleased to announce the release of CUBISM,
the CUbe Builder for IRS Spectral Mapping, an IDL-based software package
for reducing and analyzing spectral maps made with the IRS on Spitzer.
CUBISM is designed to combine spectral mapping BCDs into 3D spectral
cubes, with two spatial and one spectral dimension. From these cubes,
spectra can be extracted over user-defined apertures, and 2D maps can be
made over any wavelength interval. CUBISM was developed at the University
of Arizona by the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) team.
Details about CUBISM, its applicability, and instructions for downloading
the software are available at:
http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/archanaly/contributed/cubism/index.html


2. Release of new version of IRSCLEAN_MASK

Release of IRSCLEAN_MASK - Version 1.5, Aug 21, 2006
----------------------------------------------------
IRSCLEAN_MASK is an interactive tool for creating bad pixel masks from
Spitzer IRS BCD (and pre-BCD) image data, and cleaning the masked pixels
in a set of data. This release contains minor bug fixes and enhanced
functionality. In particular, the bad pixel finding algorithm for
low-resolution (SL,LL) data has been improved, and users can now specify
the orders over which to search for bad pixels. IRSCLEAN_MASK can be found
on the SSC contributed software page at:
http://ssc.spitzer.caltech.edu/archanaly/contributed/irsclean/IRSCLEAN_MASK.html


3. Upcoming "Extragalactic Surveys" workshop sponsored by the Chandra
X-ray Center


===================================================

	 "Extragalactic Surveys" Workshop

      ========================================


We are pleased to announce "Extragalactic Surveys", a workshop
sponsored by the Chandra X-ray Center. The workshop will be held

     November 6-8, 2006
     in Cambridge, Massachusetts
     at the Harvard Faculty Club

The Workshop webpage
        http://cxc.harvard.edu/xsurveys06/
provides information and links for Registration/Abstract Submission.

   >>>>>>>  REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS AUGUST 30 <<<<<<<


                GOALS OF THE MEETING
   - to identify the most pressing science questions that
arise from, or can be answered by extragalactic X-ray surveys
   - to debate the most profitable and efficient
strategies to answer those questions with today's facilities and tools
   - to identify the most pressing priorities for the future
   - to communicate and disseminate the results of ongoing X-ray
surveys, their multiwavelength followup, analysis and modelling
   - to provide a forum for discussion and debate between those
conducting X-ray surveys and the broader astronomical community


                SCOPE OF THE MEETING
INCLUDES
  - extragalactic X-ray sources - galaxies, AGN, galaxy clusters
  - science from current X-ray observatories
  - serendipitous surveys deep, wide, contiguous, archival
or if pointed samples, N>30
  - spatial correlation studies, large and small scale structure
  - number counts, CXRB, population synthesis

Workshop emphasizes X-ray-selected objects, but not exclusively.
(e.g., stacked X-ray study of EROs).

EXCLUDES
  'surveys' of sources in nearby galaxies e.g., M31, Milky Way
   small (N<30) pointed samples of previously known objects
   deep IGM absorption ('WHIM') studies