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Algol – CPNG: photon counting camerasfor interferometry in visible wavelengths
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 June 2009
Abstract
Images in visible interferometry are characterised by their low coherence time, and except for brightest stars, the flux on the detector is much less than one photon per pixel per image. Algol and Comptage de Photons Nouvelle Génération (CPNG) are new photon counting cameras developed for high angular resolution in the visible. They are intensified CCDs built to benefit from improvements in photonic commercial components, and personal computer processing power. We present how we achieve optimal performances (sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution) by the combination of proper optical and electronics design, and real-time elaborated data processing. The number of pixels is 532 × 516 and 768 × 640 read at a frame rate of 262 Hz and 50 Hz for CPNG and Algol respectively. The dark current is very low: 5 × 10-4 electron.pixel-1.s-1. Quantum efficiencies reach up to 36% in the visible with the GaAsP photocathodes and and 26% in the red with the GaAs ones, thanks to the sensitivity of the photocathodes and to the photon centroiding algorithm; they are likely the highest values reported for ICCDs.
- Type
- Research Article
- Information
- European Astronomical Society Publications Series , Volume 37: Astrophysics Detector Workshop 2008 , 2009 , pp. 271 - 278
- Copyright
- © EAS, EDP Sciences, 2009