WFC3 detectors: On-orbit performance

S. M. Baggett, J. W. MacKenty, R. A. Kimble, T. Borders, B. Hilbert, S. Deustua, V. Kozhurina-Platais, K. S. Long, A. Riess, R. Gilliland, R. J. Hill, J. Kalirai

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Installed in the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in May 2009, the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is performing extremely well on-orbit. Designed to complement the other instruments on-board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and enhance the overall science performance of the observatory, WFC3 is effectively two instruments in one. The UVIS channel, with its pair of e2v 4K×2K CCD chips provides coverage from 200 to 1000 nm while the IR channel, with a Teledyne HgCdTe focal plane array (FPA) on a Hawaii-1R multiplexer, covers the 800-1700 nm range. This report summarizes the performance of the WFC3 detectors, including primary characteristics such as quantum efficiency, read noise, dark current levels, and cosmetics, as well as hysteresis prevention and the impact of radiation damage in the CCDs. In addition, we discuss effects in the IR detector such as persistence, count rate non-linearity, 'snowballs', and 'negative' cosmic rays.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010
Subtitle of host publicationOptical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010
EventSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave - San Diego, CA, United States
Duration: Jun 27 2010Jul 2 2010

Publication series

NameProceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume7731
ISSN (Print)0277-786X

Other

OtherSpace Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySan Diego, CA
Period6/27/107/2/10

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Applied Mathematics
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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