Computer Science – Performance
Scientific paper
Dec 2001
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001aas...19915702d&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, 199th AAS Meeting, #157.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 34, p.565
Computer Science
Performance
Scientific paper
We have studied the accuracy and reliability of a sample of exposure time calculators (ETC) for imaging cameras with the objective of determining how well they represent actual observations and, therefore, how much confidence can be invested in them. We have found, for example, that the ETC of the WFPC2 onboard the HST gives, in certain circumstances, very optimistic values for the SNR of point sources. These values can overestimate by up to a factor of 4 the performances of the camera for deep imaging, thus bearing serious implications on observing time allocation. For this particular case, we calculate the corrective factor to compute the appropriate SNR and detection limits and we show how these corrections vary with field crowding and sky background. We trace a significant part of the discrepancy of the WFPC2 ETC in the lack of accounting for the real effects of pixel size and charge diffusion. Similar problems may afflict other ETC in general and we address the limits within which they are bound and the caution with which their results must be taken.
de Marchi Guido
Li Causi Gianluca
Paresce Francesco
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