ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for January 2004

1. ACIS Characterization

1.1 Characterize and model radiation damage in ACIS CCDs

  ...  Continued taking a series of data in full-frame raw mode for
performance verification and monitoring.  Four ObsIDs this month
with data in the ACIS-S and ACIS I configurations.

 [...] Worked with PSU to update the time-dependent CTI information 
in their CTI corrector.  Discussed implementation options and
good test cases.

1.2 Monitor scientific on-orbit performance of ACIS

 [...] Continued study of the step-function CTI change associated with
the Halloween CME.  Analysis is ongoing.  
(http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/cti/change/change.html)

  ... Evaluated new CONTAM file containing the new "fluffium" model.
Released to the public in February.

  ...  Continued monitoring of ACIS CTI.  Updated CTI monitoring web
page (http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/cti/).

  ...  Continued monitoring of ACIS gain.  All CCDs stable with a slow 
decline in gain slope (ADU/eV) except for I2 which continues to vary.
(http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/gain/).

1.3 Update and improve CCD simulation

  ...  Continued work on improving FI and BI CCD models and CTI simulation 
code.

 [...  Found error in QE model parameters used to create BI CCD QE files
currently in the CALDB.  After correcting this error, the QE model is
roughly in agreement with sub-assembly and XRCF data and with gratings
measurements of FI/BI QE ratio.  Data analysis is ongoing and will be used 
to finalize parameters.


2. Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.
A review of the past 60 days of engineering data indicates no adverse trends; 
the system remains stable.

2.2 Instrument science performance

  ...  Continued daily quick-look processing of ACIS telemetry and
maintained Web interface to ACIS real-time data.

  ...  Continued to publish the "annotated DOT" timeline reports.

 [...] Participated in ACIS telecon on the possible ACIS bakeout.
Presented preliminary venting analysis with Scot Anderson of LMA.


3. CXC Support

3.1 Provide user support

  ...  Updated ACIS memo listing calibration ObsIDs and observation
characteristics (ACIS Memo #165).

3.2 Provide data analysis support

  ...  Continued knowledge transfer between instrument team and CXC
on calibrating the CTI model used in CTI correction and in response
matrix generation.

 [...] Participated in CXC Cal/Ops RMF discussion group.  Presented
an evaluation of new CONTAM file.  Presented ACIS team recommendation
that the BI CCD QE model be fit to new S3 QE data.  Discussed problems
with model parameters used before launch.

  ...  Continued to maintain ACIS calibration database of ground and 
flight data products


4. OCC Support

4.1 Use of MIT/ACIS EGSE at OCC

  ...  Continued support and maintenance of ACIS EGSE software and 
hardware at the OCC.


all recent memos available at http://space.mit.edu/ACIS/iacis.html