ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for April 2006

1.  ACIS Characterization

1.1 Characterize and model radiation damage in ACIS CCDs

  ...  Writing SPIE proceedings paper on temperature dependence of
CTI.  Paper compares 1999 data to 2005 data from -120C to -60C.
Will be presented at SPIE meeting in May.

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.  (http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/monitor.html)

  ...  Continued work on memo for the operations team on the consequences
of a future, unprotected radiation belt transit by ACIS.  Incorporated
comments from ACIS team members.  Once final inputs are received, will
circulate to wider distribution.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.
The instrument continues to perform nominally.  A review of the 
last 60 days of engineering data shows all is well, with no particular 
trends in evidence.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in "monthly" ACIS operations meetings. Discussed
thermal issues, proposed changes to SACGS, and TST configuration update.

  ...  Supported review of ACIS thermal limits and proposal to increase
three DEA/DPA temperature yellow limits.

  ...  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.


3.  CXC Support

3.1 Provide user support

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

  ...  Answered colleague's questions about calibration source data in
the CXC archive.

  ...  Answered colleague's questions about ground and OAC calibration 
source data 

  ...  Provided focal plane temperature data and information for collegue

3.2 Provide data analysis support

  ...  Participated in CXC Cal/Ops modelling discussion group.  Discussed
verification of S1/S3 CTI corrected data and associated QEU maps.

  ...  Discussions with colleague of apparent QE "edge" feature near
Si-K edge.  Possibly due to escape peak dropping below event threshold.

  ...  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.

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


Outreach:

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