Abstract
Modern CCDs are fairly predictable in their operation and characteristics, but there are still many subtleties to successful operation, especially for devices customized for astronomy. Issues include maximizing the ratio of signal to noise, obtaining stability and repeatability in performance, and finding suitable methods of control. These topics are treated by recounting some of the developments which uncovered problems and led to today’s solutions. There is no intention here to provide a “constructor’s manual”, only to alert the potential user to a host of practical issues. Many of the same practical issues apply for other detectors and other wavelength regimes.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References and Suggested Further Reading
Beletic, J.E.; Beletic, J.W.; and Amico, P. (2005) Scientific Detectors for Astronomy 2005: Explorers of the Photon Odyssey, Astrophysics & Space Science Library, Springer-Verlag, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. [Multiple technical articles.]
Gunn, J.E.; Emory, E.B.; Harris, F.H.; and Oke, J.B. (1987) The Palomar Observatory CCD camera, Publ. Astron. Soc. Pacific, 99, 518–534. [An original work.]
Holst, G.C. (1996) CCD Arrays, Cameras and Displays, SPIE Press, Bellingham, WA, Vol. PM 30.
Howell, S.B. (ed.) (1992) Astronomical CCD Observing and Reduction Techniques, Conf. Series Vol. 23, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA.
Janesick, J.R.; and Elliott, T. (1992) “History and advancement of large area array scientific CCD imagers”, in S.B. Howell (ed.), Astronomical CCD Observing and Reduction Techniques, Conf. Series Vol. 23, pp. 1–67, Astronomical Society of the Pacific, San Francisco, CA.
Janesick, J.R.; Elliott, T.; Daud, T.; and Campbell, D. (1986) The CCD flash gate, in D.L. Crawford (ed.), Instrumentation in Astronomy VI, Proc. SPIE, 627, 543–582.
Janesick, J.R. (2001) Scientific Charge-Coupled Devices, SPIE, Bellingham, WA. [Excellent book on all aspects of CCDs.]
Laborie, A.; Davancens, R.; Pouny, P.; Vétel, C.; Chassat, F.; Charvet, P.; Garé, P.; and Sarri, G. (2007) The GAIA focal plane, Focal Plane Arrays for Space Telescopes III, Proc. SPIE, 6690, 66900A–1.
Lesser, M.P. (1994) Improving CCD quantum efficiency, in D.L. Crawford and E.R. Craine (eds.), Instrumentation in Astronomy VIII, Proc. SPIE, 2198, 782–791.
Loose, M.; Beletic, J.; Garnett J.; and Xu, M. (2007) High performance focal plane arrays based on hawaii-2/4RG and SIDECAR ASIC, Focal Plane Arrays for Space Telescopes III, Proc. SPIE, 6690, 66900C.
Merline, W.; and Howell, S.B. (1995) A realistic model for point-sources imaged on array detectors: The model and initial results, Experimental Astronomy, 6, 163–210.
Rieke, G.H. (2003) Detection of Light from the Ultraviolet to the Submillimeter, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK
Robinson, L. (ed.) (1998) Instrumentation for ground-based optical astronomy: Present and future, Ninth Santa Cruz Summer Workshop in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1987, Springer-Verlag, New York. [Early work.]
Simons, D.A.; Amico, P.; Baade, D.; Barden, S.; Campbell, R.; Finger, G.; Gilmore, K.; Gredel, R.; Hickson, P.; Howell, S. et al. (2005) Instruments, detectors and the future of astronomy with large ground-based telescopes, in J.E. Beletic, J.W. Beletic, and P. Amico (eds.), Scientific Detectors for Astronomy 2005, ASSL, 336, 13–43 (2006); also appeared in Experimental Astronomy, 19, 15–44 (2005).
White, M.H.; Lampe, D.R.; Blaha, F.C.; and Mack, I.A. (1974) Characterization of surface channel CCD image arrays at low light levels, IEEE J. Solid State Circuits, SC-9, 1–12. [An original work that introduces correlated double-sampling.]
Web sites
ARC/SDSU Controller: http://www.astro-cam.com/
monsoon/home/news/index.htm
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Praxis Publishing Ltd, Chichester, UK
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
(2008). Practical operation of CCDs. In: Electronic Imaging in Astronomy. Springer Praxis Books. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76583-7_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-76583-7_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-76582-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-76583-7
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)