ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for January 2011

1.  ACIS Characterization

1.3 Monitor scientific on-orbit performance of ACIS

  ...  Continued monitoring of ACIS CTI, gain, trailing pixel 
pulseheight, detector efficiency, corner pixel distribution, spectral 
line centroid and width, and focal plane temperature.  Fixed scripts
that had trouble with the 2010-2011 turnover.  Updated monitoring web 
pages.  (http://space.mit.edu/~cgrant/monitor.html)

  ...  Updated web page examining bias data before and after Crab 
observations to include most recent one (ObsID 13204 on Jan 15).
No changes observed.

  ...  Began examining full history of ACIS overclock values.  Will
eventually be incorporated into a monitoring web page.

  ...  Continued work on a paper combining CTI, FWHM and background 
monitoring results from ACIS and Suzaku.  Constructed an outline and 
began preparing data.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance. 
All ACIS engineering parameters continue to operate within predicted
limits.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Continued investigation into whether ACIS can act as it's own
radiation monitor, prompted by action from the thermal working group
which is concerned about the continued degradation of EPHIN.  ACIS
software patch has completed testing on the ACIS engineering unit.
Engineering Change Order 36-1044, Flight Software Standard Patch Release
E, Optional Release F, completed and under review.

  ...  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).

3.2 Provide data analysis support

  ...  Responded to V&V reports of anomalous delta overclock values.
Confirmed that delta overclock values were lower than typical, due
to higher instrument temperatures.  Began examining mission history
of overclock levels to better monitor changes.  Found log books from
1997-1998 that confirmed the anticorrelation of overclock values with
electronics temperature.  Expressed concern that this type of data was 
being unnecessarily thrown away in the pipeline.

  ...  Searched for ground 3x3 continuous clocking data that might
be useful for calibration.  Confirmed that very little 3x3 data exists.

  ...  Participated in CXC Cal/Ops modeling discussion group. 

  ...  Participated in planning telecon for upcoming meeting of
IACHEC (International Consortium for High Energy Calibration).

  ...  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.


Outreach:

Attended planning meeting for MIT 150th open house which will include
activities related to ACIS and Chandra.