Selecting pixels for Kepler downlink
Abstract
The Kepler mission monitors ~ 165, 000 stellar targets using 42 2200 × 1024 pixel CCDs. Onboard storage and bandwidth constraints prevent the storage and downlink of all 96 million pixels per 30-minute cadence, so the Kepler spacecraft downlinks a specified collection of pixels for each target. These pixels are selected by considering the object brightness, background and the signal-to-noise in each pixel, and maximizing the signal-to- noise ratio of the target. This paper describes pixel selection, creation of spacecraft apertures that efficiently capture selected pixels, and aperture assignment to a target. Engineering apertures, short-cadence targets and custom-specified shapes are discussed.
- Publication:
-
Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- July 2010
- DOI:
- 10.1117/12.857625
- Bibcode:
- 2010SPIE.7740E..1DB