Modeling the Wavelength Dependence of Pixel Response Nonuniformity of a CCD Sensor

Abstract

Precision measurements in astronomy require stringent control of systematics such as those arising from imperfect correction of sensor effects. In this work, we develop a parametric method to model the wavelength dependence of pixel response nonuniformity (PRNU) for a laser-annealed backside-illuminated charge-coupled device. The model accurately reproduces the PRNU patterns of flat-field images taken at nine wavelengths from 290 to 950 nm, leaving the rms residuals no more than 0.2% in most cases. By removing the large-scale nonuniformity in the flat fields, the rms residuals are further reduced. This model fitting approach gives more accurate predictions of the PRNU than cubic-spline interpolation does with fewer free parameters. It can be applied to make PRNU corrections for individual objects according to their spectral energy distribution to reduce the photometry errors caused by the wavelength-dependent PRNU, if sub-percent level precision is required.

Keywords

• Astronomical instrumentation
• Astronomical detectors
• Astronomical techniques
• CCD photometry