Astronomical spectrometer using a charge coupled device detector
Abstract
This paper describes a low light level, low resolution astronomical CCD spectrometer useful in the spectral range 5000-9000 A. The instrument has a second CCD channel for direct broad-band photometry of the region around the entrance slit. Both applications benefit from the high quantum efficiency, stability, dynamic range and linearity intrinsic to CCDs. The detectors are cooled to 130 K which eliminates dark current and permits exposure times long enough to overcome the readout noise of plus or minus 30 electrons. At low spectral resolution the instrument has a signal-to-noise ratio which approaches the photon counting noise limit. The overall average quantum efficiency during observations is 1.3% between 5500 and 9000 A.
- Publication:
-
Review of Scientific Instruments
- Pub Date:
- May 1980
- Bibcode:
- 1980RScI...51..635M
- Keywords:
-
- Astronomical Spectroscopy;
- Charge Coupled Devices;
- Spectrometers;
- Detectors;
- Galactic Clusters;
- Integrated Optics;
- Particle Energy;
- Particle Trajectories;
- Signal To Noise Ratios;
- Spectral Resolution;
- Instrumentation and Photography