Editor's note

Abstract

The workshop “XMM-Newton: The Next Decade” was organized by the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre (XMM-Newton SOC). The XMM-Newton SOC organizes a large scientific conference every three years. In the years in between, the Centre aims to organize scientific workshops, which are specifically aimed at hot topics of current astrophysical research where X-ray observations have a main impact on the recent developments. The 2006 workshop was focused on “Variable and Broad Iron Lines around Black Holes”; in 2007, the workshop had the title “XMM-Newton: The Next Decade” exploring scientific perspectives for the mission; in 2009, the workshop was devoted to “Supersoft X-ray Sources: New Developments”; in 2010, the participants focused on “Ultra-Luminous X-ray sources and Middle Weight Black Holes”; in 2012, the workshop concentrated on “Galaxy Clusters as Giant Cosmic Laboratories”; in 2013, the topic of the workshop was “The Fast and the Furious: Energetic Phenomena in Isolated Neutron Stars, Pulsar Wind Nebulae and Supernova Remnants”; and in 2015, the participants discussed “The Extremes of Black Hole Accretion”. “XMM-Newton: The Next Decade” was the eighth workshop in this series. The topic reflects the need to identify new scientific challenges for the scientific justification of the mission extension. M. Ward, who chairs the XMM-Newton Users' Group, chaired the Scientific Organizing Committee, which was composed of members of the XMM-Newton Users' Group, the former chairpersons of the Users' Group, the current and former chairpersons of the time allocation committee, and the XMM-Newton Project Scientist: