FAQ
data products
Q1: When will XRISM PV data become publicly available?
A1: The bulk of the PV data will be made public one year after the conclusion of the PV phase of the mission, i.e., August, 2025. In addition, we are making some Early Release data public. The released files include X-ray images or spectra obtained and reduced during the commissioning or calibration operations of the Resolve and Xtend instruments aboard XRISM. Note that the event files are not provided. Moreover, these data were extracted assuming the current, still preliminary, calibration. While the calibration is advanced enough to demonstrate the data quality, reliable scientific results cannot be derived from these data products,
operation/observation
xtend analysis
resolve analysis
proposal
Q1: Can the Moon be observed with XRISM?
A1: No, the Moon cannot be observed as a target object with XRISM due to its attitude control system.
Q2: Does the page limit (4 pages) of the scientific justification include figures and references?
A2: Yes, you need to provide it within 4 pages including text, figures, and references. No additional page other than the 4 pages will be accepted.
Q3: Why are there objects in the Observation Log that are not listed in the PV and calibration target lists?
A3: These are most likely to be commissioning targets - celestial X-ray sources that were used for the purpose of satellite and/or instrument commissioning. The exposure times were determined by what was needed for commissioning, and the instruments may or may not be operated in the normal mode. Therefore, commissioning data may or may not be suitable for scientific use. The specific settings used for individual commissioning observations can be provided upon request.
Q4: Where can I find out about the XRISM Guest Observer (GO) Program?
A4: There are three parallel solicitations, depending on the institution with which the principal investigator (PI) is affiliated. PIs located in the US or Canada should respond to the NASA opportunity. PIs located in ESA member countries and cooperating states should respond to the ESA call for proposals, PIs located in Japan or all other countries should respond to the Japanese call for proposals, Please also consult the XRISM Proposers' Observatory Guide (the HTML version or the PDF version), which contains further details of the proposal process, as well as the technical capabilities of the Resolve and Xtend instruments on-board XRISM.
Q5: When does the Cycle 1 period begin and end? Can I submit a proposal for an observation that must take place in August, 2025?
A5: Cycle 1 observations are expected to start during August, 2024, and continue for 1 year. Since there is some uncertainty in the exact start and end dates, proposals for time-critical observations in August, 2025 are allowed in Cycle 1.
Q6: Should XRISM proposal discuss contingency plans in case the Gate Valve will have opened?
A6: No. The Cycle 1 solitation is exclusively for the gate-valve closed configuration of XRISM/Resolve.
Q7: If a XRISM proposal requests observations of multiple objects, or multiple pointings of an object, can it be partially accepted?
A7: Yes, if, in the opinion of the reviewers, partial acceptance makes sense. If this is also acceptable in the opinion of the propsing team, we recommend that the targets be listed in the order of priority.
Q8: Can XRISM perform TOO (target of opportunity) observations?
A8: Yes, and there are two ways to request them. TOO observations of unpredictable events in known targets can be requested through the regular proposal process. However, generic TOO proposals - for unpredictable events in a class of objects, whose identities are not known in advance (e.g., outburst of a hitherto unknown X-ray transient) - are not solicited in Cycle 1. In addition, TOO targets cannot be mixed with non-TOO targets within a single proposal. In addition, it will be possible to submit a real-time request for TOO observations, once an unpredictable event is detected. During the PV phase, this opportunity is open only to the XRISM team members; in the GO phase of the mission, a mechanism to submit real-time TOO and other drector's discretionary time (DDT) observation will be opened to the community at large, Once triggered, the anticipated response time for TOO observation is 48 to 72 hours. See notes on TOO proposals for more.