ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for December 2018

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).

  ...  Created new web page for monitoring raw mode data which measures noise in the overclock region as a function of time.  https://space.mit.edu/ACIS/rawFiles/rawStats.html

  ...  Prepared poster for January AAS meeting on "Twenty years of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer on the Chandra X-ray Observatory."

  ...  Submitted abstract to the March HEAD meeting on the same topic.


2.  Engineering

2.1 Instrument hardware engineering performance

  ...  Continue to monitor long term ACIS instrument performance.  A review of engineering data over the past 60 days shows no unexpected trends.
  
  ...  The EEPROM checksum was verified in the DEC1718 load.   Will continue to run monthly.  MIT telemetry processing will automatically check the results and send out an alert if the checksum is unexpected.

2.2 Flight software maintenance

  ...  Flight software patch F-G-H (improved buscrash2) uploaded in June 2014.

  ...  We continue to monitor threshold crossing rates.  The current TXINGS parameters, which were last updated on July 28, 2016, may need to be updated in the next few months to keep the trigger thresholds well above the increasing particle background.  This update will likely be the last increase, as the rates should subsequently start dropping again.

  ...  Continuing forward with ACIS patch level G-H-I.  This patch makes two changes to the current F-G-H patches.  Updated buscrash2 patch to force end of science run following SCS107, and new deahktrip patch to respond to "red alert" DPA component temperatures.  Successful review by the FOT Flight Software team.  Ready to build the command packets to upload and for approval by the Flight Directors Board.

  ...  Installed script on EGSE machine which automates verification of flight software dumps.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Continued daily quick-look processing of ACIS telemetry and maintained Web interface to ACIS real-time data.

  ...  Supported the move of Ops LAN machines (including colossus-v) from the current OCC to 60 Garden Street.  Shuffled real-time monitoring and MIT telemetry processing to alternate servers during the shutdown, and then back.

  ...  Continued to publish the "annotated DOT" timeline reports.


3.  CXC Support

3.1 Provide user support

  ...  ACIS memo listing calibration ObsIDs and observation characteristics (ACIS Memo #165) will no longer be updated.  Functionality is replaced by new web page (http://acis.mit.edu/asc/evt-page.html), which provides the same information but is more automated.

3.2 Provide data analysis support

  ...  Participated in CXC Cal/Ops ACIS response discussion group.  Discussed new contamination measurements and improved gain calibration around the central node boundary.

  ...  Supported Cool Targets program by dropping chips and examining OR lists from test archive.  Found error in the listed aimpoint for some of the suggested SI modes.

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

  ...  Participated in planning for upcoming IACHEC meeting (May in Japan).  Reviewed initial meeting announcement and registration page.


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.  Performed monthly check of all ACIS hardware and software in the TST room at the OCC.  Released nearly final version of documentation including locations of previous flight software and patch dumps.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  Working with USINT to configuring AO-20 observation of Sco X-1, an extremely bright source.  Proposed configuration requires multiple spatial windows with energy filters.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.