ACIS Instrument Support - Monthly Progress Report for May 2019

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).

  ...  Supported Chandra senior review site visit with a presentation on bakeout studies and the decision process.

  ...  Submitted request for more raw mode ECS data.

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 MAY0619 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.  The threshold crossing rates may have flattened out recently, potentially indicating the end of solar minimum.

  ...  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.  Continuing to build command packets for approval by Flight Directors Board and upload.

2.3 Instrument science performance

  ...  Participated in monthly ACIS operations meeting.  Discussed status of OCC switchover, status of ACIS and OBC thermal patches, and thermal limit plans.

  ...  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

  ...  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 status of time and temperature dependent gain calibration, central node gain droop, and contamination.

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

  ...  Attended IACHEC meeting in Japan.  Organized Detectors and Background Working Group activities.

  ...  Answered CXC SDS questions on how temperature dependent calibration currently works.

  ...  Answered CXC SDS questions on framestore shadow.


4.  OCC Support

4.1 Use of MIT/ACIS EGSE at OCC

  ...  Continued support and maintenance of ACIS EGSE software and hardware at the Wayside OCC.  Performed monthly check of all ACIS hardware and software at the OCC.

  ...  Continued support of the move of the OCC to Wayside.  Operations switchover on May 2.  Working on refinements to the security configuration of MIT EGSE.

  ...  Removed MIT EGSE machines from Hampshire OCC TST room.

4.2 Generation of commands for ACIS observations

  ...  Submitted test plan for ACIS ops testing of CXCDS 10.8, including SACGS, load review scripts, and the MIT processing pipeline.

  ...  Reviewed high count rate Chandra cycle 21 proposals for potential health and safety issues.

  ...  Continue training new ACIS operations team member, Jack Steiner, on CCD operation and on-board event processing.

  ...  Arranged for FOT MP to take over primary responsibility for installing new ACIS tables into the Chandra ODB.  

  ...  Reviewed MAY0619A command load.  Reviewed MAY1319 preliminary schedules.  Reviewed MAY0619 and MAY1319 final OR lists.  Reviewed MAY2019 LTS OR list.

  ...  Assigned 2 SI modes.  Dropped chips from 6 ObsIDs.

  ...  Checking on automated processes associated with SACGS.