New Results in X-ray astronomy / NewAthena UK meeting

The one-day "New results in X-ray astronomy" meeting aims to showcase new scientific results in the field of high energy astrophysics, and X-ray astronomy in particular. This is a friendly and informal meeting that provides a great opportunity for newer researchers (PhD students and postdocs) to present their work and engage with the UK community.

The following day, the "NewAthena UK community science meeting" will take place. The Athena mission was originally selected in 2014 as a large-class ESA mission to provide a next-generation X-ray observatory. However, between November 2022 and November 2023, Athena underwent a "design-to-cost" exercise, ensuring that the total mission cost to ESA remains under a strict 1.3G€ cap. The exercise was successful and an announcement was made on November 8, 2023, that the ESA scientific program committee approved a modified version of the Athena X-ray observatory. The meeting will include invited talks on the re-defined "NewAthena" mission profile and the mission-driving science objectives, as well as welcoming contributed talks that showcase the broad scientific capabilities of NewAthena as an observatory-class facility with the potential for completely new discoveries. We will also discuss UK involvement in NewAthena and provide updates on UKSA-funded activities. The meeting is open to all.