ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for December 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.  One ObsIDs this month with
data in the ACIS-I configuration.

  ...  Collected four runs of continuous-clocking mode data with
different split thresholds and bias algorithms.  These are repeats
of the tests done in 2002, documented in 
http://acis.mit.edu/acis/ccmode/ccmode2.html
but with colder focal plane temperatures.  

1.3 Monitor scientific on-orbit performance of ACIS

  ...  Continued monitoring of ACIS CTI, gain, trailing pixel pulseheight,
detector efficiency and spectral line centroid and width.  Updated 
monitoring web pages.
(linked from http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/monitor.html)

  ...  Presented ACIS status for Chandra Quarterly Review at MSFC

1.5 Analyze data from engineering unit ACIS CCDs

  ...  Continued comparison of non-flight ACIS BI CCD to non-flight XIS-2 
BI CCD to help understand flight cross-calibration data as they become
available after launch.  May also help in better analyzing data from
flight BI CCDs.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.  All
engineering parameters remain stable.

2.3 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 operations meeting.  Evaluated current monitoring
program, discussed upcoming ACIS EGSE move, reviewed ACIS thermal limits and
planned for future monthly meetings.


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

  ...  Participated in CXC Cal/Ops RMF discussion group.  Presented
analysis of low energy XRCF data as part of discussion of the S3 low 
energy response.

  ...  Continued to maintain ACIS calibration database of ground and 
flight data products.  Replaced malfunctioning DLT drive.


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.

  ...  Continued work on improving configuration management of the ACIS
workstations in the TST area of the Chandra OCC.

  ...  Continued planning for move of the ACIS EGSE setup to a new location 
at the OCC.  Supported ACIS Operations team meeting to discuss plans.
"Cloned" versions of the current MIT/ACIS EGSE machines have been 
installed in the new ACIS OCC location and are working in parallel with
the old systems.  Formal validation is proceeding.


Outreach:

None


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