ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for August 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 the most recent one (ObsID 13208).  No
  changes observed.

  ...  Continued work on a paper combining CTI, FWHM and background
  monitoring results from ACIS and Suzaku.  Presented results at HEAD
  meeting and continued work on A&A paper.


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.

2.2 Flight software maintenance

  ...  Presented content of flight software patch E-F-G to FDB on
  August 18.  Approved.  Answered followup questions about what type
  of particles ACIS is detecting.  Reviewed SOP to load the E-F-G patches.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Topics
  included the status of flight software patches and the Aug 4
  radiation shutdown.

  ...  New values for CCD video offsets will be further tested in
  September.  Back-to-back ECS observations using the old and new
  values will confirm that the new offsets do not change the CCD
  response.  Reviewed cld files for the test.

  ...  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.
  Presented patch contents to FDB on Aug. 18.

  ...  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

  ...  Continued analysis of QE evolution due to grade morphing.
  Examined ECS data from I3 and S3 over the entire mission in a grid
  of positions over the entire CCD.  Results will be presented at
  upcoming ACIS calibration meeting.

  ...  Continued examination of count rates during Cas A observations
  to better understand observed short-term changes in grade ratios.
  Believe to be due to subtle background changes, but not confirmed yet.

  ...  Discussed possible QE anomalies around the Silicon edge with
  CXC Cal.

  ...  Answered CXC SDS question about ObsID 581 - a weird case in
  which a parameter was updated at the last minute and was incorrect.
  Pointed out existing documentation in the V&V and SOT shift reports.

  ...  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.



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