ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for February 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.  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 13205 on Feb 16).
No changes observed.

  ...  Examined full history of ACIS overclock values.  Presented
at monthly ACIS operations meeting.  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.  Re-analyzed line fit data
(centroid and FWHM of Mn-Kalpha line) for entire mission using the
same regions as Suzaku (upper corners).  Began comparison.


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.  Reviewing
Engineering Change Order 36-1044, Flight Software Standard Patch Release
E, Optional Release F.  Formal instrument team review scheduled for
March 2.

  ...  Examined threshold crossings data around recent solar activity
(Feb 18) to see if ACIS patch would have triggered.  Rates did not
reach high enough levels to trigger a shutdown.

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed
ACIS patch development, recent overclock levels and thermal issues.

  ...  Participated in radiation working group telecon.

  ...  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

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

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

  ...  Moved to new backup server after old one died.  Transfering
  ACIS monitoring analysis scripts and data to new machine due to
ailing hard 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.


Outreach:

None