학술논문

Fifteen years of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer
Document Type
Working Paper
Source
Subject
Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Language
Abstract
As the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory enters its fifteenth year of operation on orbit, it continues to perform well and produce spectacular scientific results. The response of ACIS has evolved over the lifetime of the observatory due to radiation damage, molecular contamination and aging of the spacecraft in general. Here we present highlights from the instrument team's monitoring program and our expectations for the future of ACIS. The ACIS calibration source produces multiple line energies and fully illuminates the entire focal plane which has greatly facilitated the measurement of charge transfer inefficiency and absorption from contamination. While the radioactive decay of the source has decreased its utility, it continues to provide valuable data on the health of the instrument. Performance changes on ACIS continue to be manageable, and do not indicate any limitations on ACIS lifetime.
Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Proc. SPIE 9144, "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray"