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Title: The shape of the photon transfer curve of CCD sensors

Abstract

The photon transfer curve (PTC) of a CCD depicts the variance of uniform images as a function of their average. It is now well established that the variance is not proportional to the average, as Poisson statistics would indicate, but rather flattens out at high flux. This “variance deficit”, related to the brighter-fatter effect, feeds correlations between nearby pixels that increase with flux, and decay with distance. We propose an analytical expression for the PTC shape, and for the dependence of correlations with intensity, and relate both to some more basic quantities related to the electrostatics of the sensor, which are commonly used to correct science images for the brighter-fatter effect. We derive electrostatic constraints from a large set of flat field images acquired with a CCD e2v 250, and eventually question the generally-admitted assumption that boundaries of CCD pixels shift by amounts proportional to the source charges. Our results show that the departure of flat field statistics from the Poisson law is entirely compatible with charge redistribution during the drift in the sensor.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [1]
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  1. Lab. de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Énergies, Paris (France)
  2. Sorbonne Univ., Paris (France)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Contributing Org.:
The Dark Energy Science Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1577585
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231; AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 629; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-6361
Publisher:
EDP Sciences
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; Astronomy & Astrophysics; Abstract; Full HTMLPDF; (1.501 MB); ePUB (10.37 MB); References; NASA ADS Abstract Service

Citation Formats

Astier, Pierre, Antilogus, Pierre, Juramy, Claire, Le Breton, Rémy, Le Guillou, Laurent, and Sepulveda, Eduardo. The shape of the photon transfer curve of CCD sensors. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935508.
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Astier, Pierre, Antilogus, Pierre, Juramy, Claire, Le Breton, Rémy, Le Guillou, Laurent, & Sepulveda, Eduardo. The shape of the photon transfer curve of CCD sensors. United States. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935508.
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Astier, Pierre, Antilogus, Pierre, Juramy, Claire, Le Breton, Rémy, Le Guillou, Laurent, and Sepulveda, Eduardo. Mon . "The shape of the photon transfer curve of CCD sensors". United States. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201935508. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1577585.
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@article{osti_1577585,
title = {The shape of the photon transfer curve of CCD sensors},
author = {Astier, Pierre and Antilogus, Pierre and Juramy, Claire and Le Breton, Rémy and Le Guillou, Laurent and Sepulveda, Eduardo},
abstractNote = {The photon transfer curve (PTC) of a CCD depicts the variance of uniform images as a function of their average. It is now well established that the variance is not proportional to the average, as Poisson statistics would indicate, but rather flattens out at high flux. This “variance deficit”, related to the brighter-fatter effect, feeds correlations between nearby pixels that increase with flux, and decay with distance. We propose an analytical expression for the PTC shape, and for the dependence of correlations with intensity, and relate both to some more basic quantities related to the electrostatics of the sensor, which are commonly used to correct science images for the brighter-fatter effect. We derive electrostatic constraints from a large set of flat field images acquired with a CCD e2v 250, and eventually question the generally-admitted assumption that boundaries of CCD pixels shift by amounts proportional to the source charges. Our results show that the departure of flat field statistics from the Poisson law is entirely compatible with charge redistribution during the drift in the sensor.},
doi = {10.1051/0004-6361/201935508},
journal = {Astronomy and Astrophysics},
number = ,
volume = 629,
place = {United States},
year = {2019},
month = {9}
}
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Journal Article:
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DOI:  10.1051/0004-6361/201935508
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Works referenced in this record:

Consequences of thick CCDs on image processing
journal, April 2014

Measurements and simulations of the brighter-fatter effect in CCD sensors
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Precision astronomy with imperfect fully depleted CCDs — an introduction and a suggested lexicon
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Instrumental systematics and weak gravitational lensing
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Characterization and correction of charge-induced pixel shifts in DECam
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journal, August 2014

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  • Coulton, William R.; Armstrong, Robert; Smith, Kendrick M.
  • The Astronomical Journal, Vol. 155, Issue 6
  • DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aac08d
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