TO: All GCN Notice recipients RE: MAXI Notice types are available DT: 12 Apr 11 INTRODUCTION: The GCN system has been modified to incorporate the distribution of the MAXI "Unknown source" and "Known source" detections. The Unknown_source notices occur about 12 times per year. The Known_source notices occur about 52 times per year. The time delays are in the 2 to 3 hours range. The location uncertainties are 30-60 arcmin (radius, stat+sys, 90% containment). ACTION ITEM: If, after reviewing the information below, you want to receive either of these MAXI position notices, please send me a request to have them enabled. You can do this by forwarding this email to scott@milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov . NOTICE TYPES: Foreach MAXI detection, ground catalogs are checked to see if the source is a previously known source or not. If not, then it gets the "Unknown source" designation (GCN Type = 134), although, occaisionally (~2-in-12) will have a possible known-source identification attributed to the detection). These Unknown sources include (a) GRBs and (b) other previously unknown x-ray transients. If it is a previously known source (ie in a catalog), then is gets the "Known source" designation (GCN Type = 135). There are 4 subcategories of Known sources: (a) AGN, (b) Nova-CVs, (c) Supernova, and (d) X-ray stars. (The X-ray stars subcategory has 95% of these "known" detections, and Nova-CVs has the other 5%. To date, there have ben no detections issued by the MAXI Team in the AGN and Supernova subcategories.) TEST NOTICES; GCN impliments a 3rd MAXI type: MAXI Test Notice (GCN Type = 136). These test notices contain the same types of information and the same ranges of values as the real MAXI notices. The formats are identical. These Test notices allows the recipient to "practice" on these MAXI Unknown and Known types. They are generated every 3.6 hours and sample from a grid of 20 locations on the sky. FILTERING and DISTRIBUTION: All the usual filtering criteria are functional for these 3 Notice types. All the usual distribution methods and formats are available (binary socket, voevent xml socket, full-format email, several short-forms for cells/pagers, and VOEvent text). HOW MAXI WORKS: MAXI is an instrument on the International Space Station. It uses 12 Gas Slit Cameras (GSC) and 2 Solid-state Slit Cameras (SSC) to monitor the whole sky every 96 minutes as the ISS orbits the Earth. It routinely monitors ~1000 known sources. ARCHIVE STORAGE of the NOTICES: The GCN/FERMI Notices are archived within the GCN website in the Table of MAXI transients (both Unknown and Known): http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn/maxi_grbs.html MORE INFORMATION: Can be found at: http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn/maxi.html NOTICE EXAMPLES: Here is an example of a full-format email Unknown_Source Position Notice: TITLE: GCN/MAXI NOTICE NOTICE_DATE: Mon 11 Apr 11 17:26:37 UT NOTICE_TYPE: MAXI Unknown Source Position EVENT_ID_NUM: 5648778566 EVENT_RA: 290.75d {+19h 22m 59s} (J2000), 290.90d {+19h 23m 35s} (current), 290.08d {+19h 20m 20s} (1950) EVENT_DEC: -5.14d {-05d 08' 09"} (J2000), -5.11d {-05d 06' 49"} (current), -5.23d {-05d 13' 58"} (1950) EVENT_ERROR: 1.0 [deg radius, stat+sys, 90% containment] EVENT_FLUX: 368.0 [mCrab,2-20 keV] EVENT_DATE: 15648 TJD; 87 DOY; 11/03/28 EVENT_TIME: 82024.00 SOD {22:47:04.00} UT EVENT_TSCALE: 10s EVENT_EBAND: L+M, 2-10 keV BAND_FLUX: 53.0, 8.0 [mCrab] (Src,Bkg: 2-4 keV) BAND_FLUX: 93.0, 51.0 [mCrab] (Src,Bkg: 4-10 keV) BAND_FLUX: 222.0,343.0 [mCrab] (Src,Bkg: 10-20 keV) ISS_LON_LAT: 32.77,-14.77 [deg] SUN_POSTN: 19.85d {+01h 19m 24s} +8.37d {+08d 22' 26"} SUN_DIST: 89.71 [deg] MOON_POSTN: 115.65d {+07h 42m 37s} +18.75d {+18d 45' 10"} MOON_DIST: 165.59 [deg] COMMENTS: MAXI Unknown Source Position. GRB or unknown X-ray Transient. Here is an example of a full-format email Known_Source Position Notice: TITLE: GCN/MAXI NOTICE NOTICE_DATE: Mon 11 Apr 11 15:43:28 UT NOTICE_TYPE: MAXI Known Source Position EVENT_ID_NUM: 5660774400 SRC_RA: 171.28d {+11h 25m 06s} (J2000), 171.40d {+11h 25m 37s} (current), 170.71d {+11h 22m 51s} (1950) SRC_DEC: -60.51d {-60d 30' 49"} (J2000), -60.58d {-60d 34' 33"} (current), -60.24d {-60d 14' 20"} (1950) SRC_ERROR: 0.5 [deg radius, stat+sys, 90% containment] SRC_FLUX: 340.0 [mCrab,2-20 keV] SRC_DATE: 15660 TJD; 99 DOY; 11/04/09 SRC_TIME: 81047.00 SOD {22:30:47.00} UT SRC_TSCALE: 4orbit SRC_EBAND: L+M, 2-10 keV SRC_CLASS: x-ray-star SRC_NAME: Cen X-3 BAND_FLUX: 52.0, 13.0 [mCrab] (Src,Bkg: 2-4 keV) BAND_FLUX: 119.0, 59.0 [mCrab] (Src,Bkg: 4-10 keV) BAND_FLUX: 169.0,363.0 [mCrab] (Src,Bkg: 10-20 keV) ISS_LON_LAT: 183.77,-30.72 [deg] SUN_POSTN: 19.79d {+01h 19m 08s} +8.35d {+08d 20' 51"} SUN_DIST: 123.65 [deg] MOON_POSTN: 114.66d {+07h 38m 38s} +18.99d {+18d 59' 30"} MOON_DIST: 91.65 [deg] COMMENTS: MAXI Known Source Position. The socket packets contents can be found at: http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn/sock_pkt_def_doc.html Sincerely, Scott Scott Barthelmy NASA-GSFC, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 PHONE: 301-286-3106 (office) CELL: 301-346-3733 EMAIL: scott@lheamail.gsfc.nasa.gov PAGER: 3013463733@cingularme.com