Please be aware that due to current, temporary issues, we are unable at this moment to create individually tailored blank sky files. You may find that a blank sky file has already been created that is suitable for your use. Please see the list of selection criteria used in previous submissions in this table. Please note however that all submitted requests will be stored for processing in the future, when the blank sky project resumes.

It is envisaged that the blank sky project will resume normal operations in late summer 2013.

This page provides access to the XMM-Newton EPIC BGWG Blank Sky files. On submission of this form a Blank Sky event file and associated exposure maps will be created and an email sent indicating the location of the files that will be ready for download. Requests for blank sky files are handled in a semi-automatic manner and involve controlled monitoring of the resultant files. However, we endeavour to produce blank sky files as quickly as possible and will contact the sender of the request as soon as the files are available. We expect this to take at the present time approximately seven working days. The Blank Sky team is located at the University of Leicester. If you have an enquiry regarding the Blank Sky File Selection form or your submission please email the Blank Sky team at: epic-bg at star.le.ac.uk.

This form allows the creation of user-defined, tailor made Blank Sky files. The component files to the Blank Sky file dataset were created as detailed on XMM-Newton EPIC Background Blank Sky pages. To complete this form, the user is requested to supply certain required information and then, if desired, various optional information regarding any additional selection.

1. User information: a name and email address is required to use this form.
2. Select instrument specifications: select the EPIC instrument - filter - mode combination that you require. The filter can be thin, medium or thick. The mode can be full-frame or extended full-frame, in the case of the PN instrument. Also select whether a ghosted or unfilled events file is required, under the options of filled-status (see the description on the EPIC Background Blank Sky pages).

1. Select by various criteria: fill this section if you wish to receive a Blank Sky file created using various selection criteria for the component events. In this case enter a low and high value for filtering. For Exposure base the selection range on the pre-flare cleaning exposure length of the observations to be included in ks. For nH select bounds for the galactic foreground absorption value for the component observations that make up the resultant Blank Sky file. For Count rate select bounds for the count rates for the component observations that make up the resultant Blank Sky file, in counts per second. These count rates are calculated from post-flare cleaned events, in the band 200 eV - 10000 eV, using PATTERN==0 and a circular in field of view spatial region of radius 14000 detector units, centred on DETX, DETY = (0, 0). For Time select between component observation start times, expressed in XMM-Newton seconds (note that the minimum time is 6.3e7 seconds and if values are entered here they will supersede that of the revolution selection). Alternatively, instead of searching by Time search by Date between two dates in format YYYY-MM-DD. One can also select by Revolution, for a period between two revolution numbers for the component observations. Please be aware that MOS1 CCD6 became unoperational at 01:30 hrs UT on 09 March 2005 during XMM-Newton revolution 961.
2. Select (further) by coordinates: fill this section if you wish to receive a Blank Sky file created from events within a certain radius about a central coordinate position. This coordinate position can be entered in equatorial (J2000) or galactic coordinates. Specify the coordinates in decimal degrees. Specify the maximum radius about this position in degrees.

Please be aware that the blank sky files are constructed using a superposition of actual XMM-Newton pointed observations that have been processed with SAS version 9.0.0. A standard approach is to request an adequate (not too narrow) range of revolutions, dates or times so that a selection of files can be combined to contribute to the blank sky file, and then further selection is made based on any other selection criteria that you require (for example based on coordinates in a particular sky region, or column density) to produce a final blank sky file of manageable size. For example, a user may wish to base their selection around a position on the sky, e.g. radius of 30 degrees about point with a right ascension of 227 degrees and a declination of 65 degrees.

If you require more than one Blank Sky file, please submit a separate request for each instrument and selection combination.

If you require a blank sky file for a Large Window or Small Window mode, please contact the EPIC Blank Sky team. You may also find stacked filter wheel closed (FWC) data useful, please see the relevant FWC page.

Previously requested blank sky files are summarised in a table. A paper describing the XMM-Newton EPIC background and the production of the blank sky files can be found here.

If you require any more information, or have any query relating to the blank sky files, please do not hesitate to contact the EPIC Blank Sky team at:
epic-bg at star.le.ac.uk