The superiority of L3-CCDs in the high-flux and wide dynamic range regimes

Details The superiority of L3-CCDs in the high-flux and wide dynamic range regimes The superiority of L3-CCDs in the high-flux and wide dynamic range regimes

Feb 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008aipc..984..168b&link_type=abstract

HIGH TIME RESOLUTION ASTROPHYSICS: The Universe at Sub-Second Timescales. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 984, pp. 168-177 (

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Charge-Coupled Devices, Image Detectors, And Ir Detector Arrays, Photometric, Polarimetric, And Spectroscopic Instrumentation, Image Processing, Photography, Photographic Instruments, Xerography

Scientific paper

Low Light Level CCD (L3-CCD) cameras have received much attention for high cadence astronomical imaging applications. Efforts to date have concentrated on exploiting them for two scenarios: post-exposure image sharpening and ``lucky imaging'', and rapid variability in astrophysically interesting sources. We demonstrate their marked superiority in a third distinct scenario: observing in the high-flux and wide dynamic range regimes. We realized that the unique features of L3-CCDs would make them ideal for maximizing signal-to-noise in observations of bright objects (whether variable or not), and for high dynamic range scenarios such as faint targets embedded in a crowded field of bright objects. Conventional CCDs have drawbacks in such regimes, due to a poor duty cycle-the combination of short exposure times (for time-series sampling or to avoid saturation) and extended readout times (for minimizing readout noise). For different telescope sizes, we use detailed models to show that a range of conventional imaging systems are photometrically out-performed across a wide range of object brightness, once the operational parameters of the L3-CCD are carefully set. The cross-over fluxes, above which the L3-CCD is operationally superior, are surprisingly faint-even for modest telescope apertures. We also show that the use of L3-CCDs is the optimum strategy for minimizing atmospheric scintillation noise in photometric observations employing a given telescope aperture. This is particularly significant, since scintillation can be the largest source of error in timeseries photometry. These results should prompt a new direction in developing imaging instrumentation solutions for observatories.

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