Astronomical Camera Based on a CCD261-84 Detector with Increased Sensitivity in the Near-Infrared

Herein, we describe the design, implementation and operation principles of an astronomical camera system, based on a large-format CCD261-84 detector with an extremely thick 200 & mu;m substrate. The DINACON-V controller was used with the CCD to achieve high performance and low noise. The CCD system photometric characteristics are presented. A spatial autocorrelation analysis of flat-field images was performed to reveal the dependence of substrate voltage on the lateral charge spreading. The investigation of the dispersion index for the optimal choice of exposure time is discussed. Studies of the patterns of fringes were carried out in comparison with previous detectors. The amplitude of fringes with CCD261-84 was significantly lower, compared to previous-generation detectors. The results of using a new camera for imaging and spectral observations at the Russian 6 m telescope with the SCORPIO-2 multimode focal reducer are considered. The developed CCD camera system makes it possible to significantly increase the sensitivity in the 800-1000 spectral range.

Automated summary

In this study, we present the design, implementation, and operation principles of an astronomical camera system based on a large-format CCD261-84 detector with a thick 200 μm substrate. The use of the DINACON-V controller with the CCD enables high performance and low noise. We discuss the photometric characteristics of the CCD system and analyze the dependence of substrate voltage on lateral charge spreading through spatial autocorrelation analysis of flat-field images. Comparative studies reveal significantly lower fringe amplitude with the CCD261-84 compared to previous-generation detectors.