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arXiv · 2203.16501

The Signal-to-Noise Ratio for Photon Counting After Photometric Corrections

Kevin Ludwick
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Abstract

Photon counting is a mode of processing astronomical observations of low-signal targets that have been observed using an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD). In photon counting, the EMCCD amplifies the signal, and a thresholding technique effectively selects for the signal electrons while drastically reducing relative noise sources. Photometric corrections have been developed which result in the extraction of a more accurate estimate of the signal of electrons, and the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope will utilize a theoretical expression for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) given these corrections based on well-calibrated noise parameters to plan observations taken by its coronagraph instrument. I derive here analytic expressions for the SNR for the method of photon counting, before and after these photometric corrections have been applied.

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Kevin Ludwick. 2022-03-30. The Signal-to-Noise Ratio for Photon Counting After Photometric Corrections. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.jatis.9.4.048006

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