The European Space Agency
2026 The X-ray Universe - XMM-Newton
The X-ray Universe 2026
The X-ray Universe 20268-11 June 2026Elche, Spain A conference organized by the XMM-Newton Science Operations Centre |
 (click to download full poster) |
Rationale
The symposium is the seventh meeting in the series "The X-ray Universe".
This conference series is aimed at encompassing a broad range of high-energy astrophysics topics, from solar system studies to cosmology and at providing a showcase for results and discoveries from XMM-Newton as well as from the variety of other current missions. The scientific potential of future mission projects and the evolution of the scientific analysis landscape will be further topics for discussion.
Topics
- Stars, White Dwarfs, Solar System, Exoplanets and their Host Stars
- Accreting White Dwarf, Neutron Star and Black Hole binaries & ULXs
- (Ultra) Higher-Energy Transients, GRBs
- Supernovae, SNRs, Isolated Neutron Stars & Diffuse Emission
- Active Galactic Nuclei, Tidal Disruption Events and QPEs
- Groups of Galaxies, Clusters of Galaxies & Cosmology
- Future missions
- Theory & Simulations
- Calibration & Operations
Invited Speakers
| Aya Bamba | The University of Tokyo, Japan |
| Alice Borghese | European Space Agency (ESA/ESAC), Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain |
| Stéphane Corbel | Université Paris Cité & CEA Saclay, France |
| Vittorio Ghirardini | INAF OAS Bologna, Italy |
| Margherita Giustini | Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Spain |
| Carey Lisse | Johns Hopkins Applied Research Laboratory, Laurel, MD, United States |
| Raffaella Margutti | University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States |
| Maxim Markevitch | NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, United States |
| Norbert Schartel | Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain |
| Hui Sun | National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China |
| Bert Vander Meulen | European Space Agency (ESA/ESTEC), Noordwijk, The Netherlands |
| Dominic Walton | University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom |
| Peter Wheatley | University of Warwick, United Kingdom |
| Dan Wilkins | The Ohio State University, United States |
Solicited Speakers
| Murray Brightman | Caltech, Pasadena, California, United States |
| Johannes Buchner | Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany |
| Sebastien Guillot | IRAP / University of Toulouse, France |
| Andrew Levan | Radboud University, Netherlands |
| François Mernier | IRAP, CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNES, UT3-UPS, Toulouse, France |
| Andrew Mummery | Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, New Jersey, United States |
| Teo Muñoz-Darias | Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain |
| Yael Naze | FNRS/ULiege, Belgium |
| Naomi Ota | Nara Women's University, Japan |
| Ciro Pinto | INAF - IASF Palermo, Italy |
| Gabriele Ponti | INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Italy |
| Patrick Slane | Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, United States |
| Natalie Webb | Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, Toulouse, France |
Scientific Organising Committee (SOC)
| Brad Cenko | NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, United States |
| Anne Decourchelle | DAp-AIM, CEA Paris-Saclay, France |
| Nathalie Degenaar | University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| Megan Donahue (co-chair) | Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States |
| Dominique Eckert | University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Stefano Ettori | INAF-OAS, Bologna, Italy |
| Matteo Guainazzi | European Space Agency, ESTEC, Nooordwijk, The Netherlands |
| Sebastien Guillot | IRAP, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France |
| Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo | Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada |
| Peter Jonker (co-chair) | Radboud University, The Netherlands |
| Peter Kretschmar | European Space Agency, ESAC, Madrid, Spain |
| Erik Kuulkers (co-chair) | European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands |
| Thomas Maccarone | Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States |
| Giovanni Miniutti | Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Madrid, Spain |
| Arne Rau | Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Garching, Germany |
| Nanda Rea | Institute of Space Sciences (ICE-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain |
| Claudio Ricci | University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland |
| Manami Sasaki | Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Remeis Observatory, Bamberg, Germany |
| Joop Schaye | Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands |
| Nicholas Stone | University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, United States |
| Jiri Svoboda | Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic |
| Masahiro Tsujimoto | JAXA, ISAS, Sagamihara, Japan |
| Alexander van der Horst | The George Washington University, Washington DC, United States |
| Susanna Vergani | CNRS - Paris Observatory, France |
| Kimberly Weaver | NASA GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, United States |
| Irina Zhuravleva | University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States |
Local Organising Committee (LOC)
Lucia Ballo, Alice Borghese, Ignacio de la Calle, Jacobo Ebrero (co-chair), Cristina Hernández, Zsofi Igo, Jari Kajava, Jose López Miralles (co-chair), Erwan Quintin, José Joaquín Rodes, Celia Sánchez Fernández, Matilde Signorini, Martin Stuhlinger, Jose Miguel Torrejón, Bert Vander Meulen, Ivan Valtchanov.
Important Dates
| Opening of Abstract Submission | Early January 2026 |
| Deadline for Abstract Submission | extended to Friday, 27th February 2026 |
| Opening of Registration | 23rd February 2026 |
| Notification to Authors | Mid-April 2026 |
| Early Registration Deadline | 8th May 2026 |
| Late Registration | 5th June 2026 |
| Conference Start | 8th June 2026 |
Programme
The sessions timetable of the conference can be found here.
The detailed programme is available here.
The list of posters is available here.
The abstract booklet is available here.
Abstract Submission
Abstracts submission is now closed.
Decisions about accepted presentations (talks and posters) will be communicated by mid-April 2026.
Registration
A registration fee will be charged:
| Students able to provide a document of eligibility, until 8th May | 350 € |
| Early fee, until 8th May | 550 € |
| Late fee, after 8th May | 700 € |
| Online only participation | 300 € |
The fee includes:
- Welcome cocktail
- Coffee breaks
- Lunches
- Conference bag
The deadline for registration is 5 June 2026.
Venue
The venue will be the Centro de Congresos Ciudad de Elche, around 25km from Alicante, Spain (https://maps.app.goo.gl/RXmDJwN3Gb2mtCf27).
How to get there
From Alicante Airport:
Elche is well-connected with many major cities in Spain and Europe operating to and from Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC). The airport is located at about 20 km from the city of Elche, and can be reached by the following means of transportation:
- By car/taxi: it is a 20-30 minutes ride depending on the traffic conditions. Taxi airport fares include a supplement of 4.25 €. You may find more information here:
https://www.aena.es/en/alicante-elche-miguel-hernandez/how-to-get-there/taxi.html - By bus: Line R11 connects the airport with several stops in the city of Elche. Details on the bus route and timetable can be found here:
https://www.aena.es/en/alicante-elche-miguel-hernandez/how-to-get-there/bus.html
or here:
https://elche.avanzagrupo.com/documents/d/elche/info_r11-1
From Madrid:
Elche is connected to Madrid with a high-velocity train line (AVE), that offers direct connection in about 2 hours 20 minutes. There are 4 daily services, 2 in each direction. More information can be found here:
https://www.visitelche.com/en/ave-elche/
The AVE station is located at about 10 km from downtown Elche. The easiest way to get from the AVE station to Elche is by taxi. Services from Radio Taxi Elche can be booked in the phone number +34 965 42 77 77, or by using the app Pidetaxi: https://pidetaxi.es/
For other travel possibilities, please check: https://www.visitelche.com/en/how-to-get-here/
Accommodation
We will not block hotel rooms for the conference in any particular hotel, but a list of recommended hotels in this area together with useful links is posted below:
- Hotel Ibis Elche (***): https://all.accor.com
- Hotel Meliá Elche Centro (***): https://www.melia.com
- Hotel Boutique Hort de Nal (****): https://www.hortdenal.com
- Hotel Huerto del Cura (****): https://www.hotelhuertodelcura.com
- Hotel Port Jardín Milenio (****): https://www.porthotels.es
Please note that XMM-Newton/ESA does not offer hotel reservation services, nor has authorised any third party to do so on its behalf.
The location of all recommended hotels is marked in the map below:
Social Events
Welcome cocktail
On Sunday 7th June, at 19:00, a welcome cocktail will take place at the
Visiting the garden will be possible free of charge. There will also be a conference registration desk.
Guided Tour
A guided tour through the historical center of the city of Elche will be offered free of charge courtesy of Visitelche in the afternoon of Wednesday 10th June. You may book your spot during the conference registration process.
Conference Dinner
The conference dinner will take place on Wednesday 10th June, at
The dinner fee will be 75€. Attendance at the dinner as well as dietary restrictions can be specified during online registration.
Code of Conduct
As the Local Organising Committee of the workshop, we assume that all participants share our commitment to create a meeting environment that values diversity and inclusion and therefore is free from harassment. We want to promote a diverse environment with respectful and courteous behaviour and therefore we expect all participants to adhere to our Code of Conduct.
Privacy Notice
The event Privacy Notice can be found here.
Contact
For any questions related to the conference please contact us at:
You can follow XMM-Newton on X at @ESA_XMM for any updates.