Paper 13093-50
Paper 13093-50
The Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer on the Chandra X-ray Observatory: twenty-five years of on-orbit operation
18 June 2024 • 16:50 - 17:10 Japan Standard Time | Room G414/415, North - 4F
Abstract
As the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) on the Chandra X-ray Observatory completes a quarter century of on orbit operations, 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, changing particle environment, and aging of the spacecraft in general. We present highlights from the instrument team's monitoring program and our expectations for the future of ACIS. Performance changes on ACIS continue to be manageable, and do not indicate any limitations on ACIS lifetime. We examine aspects of the design and operation of ACIS that have impacted its long lifetime with lessons learned for future instruments.
Presenter
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)
Catherine Grant received her bachelors degree in astronomy and astrophysics from Harvard University in 1993 and her PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from Penn State University in 1999. She is currently a research scientist at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. Her work has included characterizing the radiation damage in the Chandra ACIS CCDs, developing software techniques for mitigating charge transfer inefficiency, and developing flight software algorithms to allow ACIS to act as its own radiation monitor. She is involved in the effort to reduce and understand the particle background on ESA’s upcoming Athena X-ray Observatory using in situ particle data and Geant4 simulations.