Detector modeling is becoming more and more critical for the development of new instruments in scientific space missions and ground-based experiments. Modeling tools are often developed from scratch by each individual project and not necessarily shared for reuse by a wider community. To foster knowledge transfer, reusability, and reliability in the instrumentation community, we developed Pyxel, a framework for the simulation of scientific detectors and instruments. Pyxel is an open-source and collaborative project, based on Python, developed as an easy-to-use tool that can host and pipeline any kind of detector effect model. Recently, Pyxel has achieved a new milestone: the public release and launch of version 1.0, which simplified third-party contributions and improved ease of use even further. Since its launch, Pyxel has been experiencing a growing user community and is being used to simulate a variety of detectors. We give a tour of Pyxel’s version 1.0 changes and new features, including a new interface, parallel computing, and new detectors and models. We continue with an example of using Pyxel as a tool for model optimization and calibration. Finally, we describe an example of how Pyxel and its features can be used to develop a full-scale end-to-end instrument simulator.
METIS, the Mid-infrared Imager and Spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), is one of the three first generation science instruments and about to complete its final design phase [1]. The Imager sub-system provides diffraction-limited imaging capabilities and low-resolution grism-spectroscopy in two channels: one covers the atmospheric LM bands with a field of view of 11x11 arcsec, and the second covers the N band, with a field of view of 14x14 arcsec. Both channels have a common collimator and a dichroic beam splitter dividing the light into two dedicated cameras and the corresponding detectors. In addition, the Imager provides a precise pupil re-imaging implementation allowing the positioning of high-contrast imaging masks for coronagraphic applications. The two channels are equipped with a HAWAII-2RG detector for LM-band and a GeoSnap detector for the N-band. We present the final optical design of the Imager in a summary, as well as the cryo-mechanical concept. The mechanical design gives an overview of the general design aspects and the analyses that demonstrate the approach how to deal with demanding stability and alignment requirements for high-contrast imaging. It further focuses on the design of individual units as e.g., on the GeoSnap detector mount and on the pupil re-imager. In addition, we exemplarily outline some of the key alignment and verification tasks, essential to guarantee the performance of the Imager.
Detector modelling is becoming more and more critical for the successful development of new instruments in scientific space missions and ground-based experiments. Specific modelling tools are often developed from scratch by each individual project and not necessarily shared for reuse by a wider community. To foster knowledge transfer, reusability and reliability in the instrumentation community, ESA and ESO joined forces and developed Pyxel, a framework for the simulation of scientific detectors and instruments. Pyxel is an open-source and collaborative project, based on Python, developed as an easy-to-use tool that can host and pipeline any kind of detector effect model. Recently Pyxel has achieved a new milestone: the public release and launch of version 1.0 which simplified third-party contributions and improved ease of use even further. Since its launch, Pyxel has been experiencing a growing user community and is being used to simulate all kinds of detectors beyond the traditional Charged-Coupled Devices and CMOS devices, for example Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKID) and Avalanche Photo Diode (APD) devices. We give a tour of Pyxel’s version 1.0 changes and new features including a new interface, parallel computing, and new detectors and models. We continue with an example of using Pyxel as a tool for model optimization and calibration. Finally, we describe an example of how Pyxel and its features can be used to develop a full-scale end-to-end instrument simulator.
MOONS is a multi-object spectrograph for the ESO VLT covering a simultaneous wavelength range of 0.6-1.8 microns using approximately 1000 fibres. It uses four Teledyne Imaging Systems H4RG-15 4K x 4K detectors with 2.5 μm cut-off material for the two longer wavebands (YJ and H). Since the spectrographs utilize an extremely fast modified Schmidt camera design, then the detectors are situated in the optical beam and hence required the development of a novel 64- channel cryogenic differential cryogenic preamplifier, minimized for optical footprint which will be reported on. We have operated the Engineering Grade H4RG detector at a range of temperatures from 90K to 40K and we will report on the advantages of the lower operational temperature. We have completed a full persistence analysis and are able to model it reasonably well and will offer a correction for it in our data pipeline. We have also configured the detector for use with both unbuffered and buffered outputs and report on the differences in performance between the two output types. We have also seen some programming issues with the detector type and will report on our work-around for this, we will also describe the use of the column-deselect feature and row skipping to minimize the effects of PEDs. We have also measured charge injection per read and report on this, likewise we have also measured the inter-pixel capacitance in different regions of the detector. We will present all these results together with a summary of the complete performance characteristics of this detector family.
The Teledyne HxRG detectors have versatile and programmable output options to allow operation of them in a variety of configurations such as slow unbuffered, slow buffered, fast buffered or unbuffered modes to optimise the detector performance for a given application. Normally at ESO, for low noise operation, the detectors are operated in slow unbuffered mode. Whilst the slow unbuffered mode offers a simple interface to the external preamplifier electronics, the detector operation in this mode can suffer from reduced pixel frequency response and higher electrical crosstalk between the readout channels. In the context of the detector systems required for the first generation instruments of the ELT (MICADO, HARMONI and METIS), an exercise was undertaken to evaluate the noise, speed and crosstalk performance of the detectors in the slow buffered mode. A test preamplifier has been designed with options to operate a H2RG detector in buffered or unbuffered and with or without using the reference output, so a direct performance comparison can be made between different modes. This paper presents the performance advantages such as increased pixel frequency response, elimination of electrical crosstalk between the readout channels and the noise performance in the buffered mode operation. These improvements allow us to achieve the same frame readout time using half the detector cryogenic electronics and detector controller electronics for the ELT instruments, which significantly reduces the associated cryomechanical complexities in the instrument.
The scientific detector systems for the ESO ELT first-light instruments, HARMONI, MICADO, and METIS, together will require 27 science detectors: seventeen 2.5 μm cutoff H4RG-15 detectors, four 4K x 4K 231-84 CCDs, five 5.3 μm cutoff H2RG detectors, and one 13.5 μm cutoff GEOSNAP detector. This challenging program of scientific detector system development covers everything from designing and producing state-of-the-art detector control and readout electronics, to developing new detector characterization techniques in the lab, to performance modeling and final system verification. We report briefly on the current design of these detector systems and developments underway to meet the challenging scientific performance goals of the ELT instruments.
Pyxel is a novel python tool for end-to-end detection chain simulation i.e. from detector optical effects to readout electronics effects. It is an easy-to-use framework to host and pipeline any detector effect model. It is suited for simulating both Charge-Coupled Devices, CMOS Image Sensors and Mercury Cadmium Telluride hybridized arrays. It is conceived as a collaborative tool to promote reusability, knowledge transfer, and reliability in the instrumentation community. We will provide a demonstration of Pyxel’s basic principles, describe newly added capabilities and the main models already implemented, and give examples of more advanced applications.
Euclid is an ESA mission to map the geometry of the dark Universe with a planned launch date in 2021. Euclid is optimised for two primary cosmological probes, weak gravitational lensing and baryonic acoustic oscillations. They are implemented through two science instruments on-board Euclid, a visible imager (VIS) and a near-infrared photometer/spectrometer (NISP), which are being developed and built by the Euclid Consortium instrument development teams. The NISP instrument contains a large focal plane assembly of 16 Teledyne HgCdTe H2RG detectors with 2.3 μm cut-off wavelength and SIDECAR readout electronics. The performance of the detector systems is critical for the science return of the mission and extended on-ground tests are being performed for characterisation and calibration purposes. Special attention is given also to effects even on the scale of individual pixels, which are difficult to model and calibrate, and to identify any possible impact on science performance. This paper discusses the known effect of random telegraph signal (RTS) in a follow-on study of test results from the Euclid NISP detector system demonstrator model [1], addressing open issues and focusing on an in-depth analysis of the RTS behaviour over the pixel population on the studied Euclid H2RGs.
Euclid is a major ESA mission for the study of dark energy planned to launch in 2021. Euclid will probe the expansion history of the Universe using weak lensing and baryonic acoustic oscillations probes. A survey of 15,000 deg2 of the sky with the instrument NISP (Near-Infrared Spectro-Photometer), in the 900 – 2100 nm band, will give both the photometric and spectrometric redshifts of tens of millions of galaxies. The 16 H2RG detectors of the NISP focal plane array are still being characterized at CPPM (Marseille). Already 16 out of 20 flight detectors have been tested and a straightforward analysis done. Performance of the dedicated test benches – in particular control of flux and temperature – as well as an overview of the test flow will be presented. This paper will present methods and some preliminary results on two detectors focusing on the determination of a per pixel conversion gain.
Euclid is an ESA mission to map the geometry of the Dark Universe with a planned launch date in 2021.1 Two
primary cosmological probes, weak gravitational lensing and baryonic acoustic oscillations, are implemented
through a VISible imager (VIS) and a Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer (NISP).2 The ground characterization of the NISP Flight Sensor Chip Systems (SCS) followed by the pixel response calibration aims to
produce all informations to correct and control the accuracy of the signal. This work reports on the ground
characterization of the NISP detector chain. The detector and electrical effects are likely to generate statistical
fluctuations and systematic errors on the final flux measurement. The analysis strategies to maintain the pixel
relative response accuracy within 1% is proposed in this work. The Euclid NISP test ow is presented and
the main concerns of the detector chain calibration, such as non-linearity, charge trapping and de-trapping are
discussed on the basis of the analysis of the flight detectors characterization data.
Euclid mission is designed to understand the dark sector of the universe. Precise redshift measurements are provided by H2RG detectors. We propose an unbiased method of fitting the flux with Poisson distributed and correlated data, which has an analytic solution and provides a reliable quality factor - fundamental features to ensure the goals of the mission. We compare our method to other techniques of signal estimation and illustrate the anomaly detection on the flight-like detectors. Although our discussion is focused on Euclid NISP instrument, much of what is discussed will be of interest to any mission using similar near-infrared sensors.
The Euclid mission objective is to understand why the expansion of the Universe is accelerating through by mapping the geometry of the dark Universe
by investigating the distance-redshift relationship and tracing the evolution of cosmic structures. The Euclid project is part of ESA's Cosmic Vision
program with its launch planned for 2020 (ref [1]).
The NISP (Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer) is one of the two Euclid instruments and is operating in the near-IR spectral region (900-
2000nm) as a photometer and spectrometer. The instrument is composed of:
- a cold (135K) optomechanical subsystem consisting of a Silicon carbide structure, an optical assembly (corrector and camera lens), a filter wheel
mechanism, a grism wheel mechanism, a calibration unit and a thermal control system
- a detection subsystem based on a mosaic of 16 HAWAII2RG cooled to 95K with their front-end readout electronic cooled to 140K, integrated on a
mechanical focal plane structure made with molybdenum and aluminum. The detection subsystem is mounted on the optomechanical subsystem
structure
- a warm electronic subsystem (280K) composed of a data processing / detector control unit and of an instrument control unit that interfaces with the
spacecraft via a 1553 bus for command and control and via Spacewire links for science data
This presentation describes the architecture of the instrument at the end of the phase C (Detailed Design Review), the expected performance, the
technological key challenges and preliminary test results obtained for different NISP subsystem breadboards and for the NISP Structural and Thermal
model (STM).
Euclid, a major ESA mission for the study of dark energy, will offer a large survey of tens of millions of galaxies thanks to its Near-Infrared Spectro-Photometer. For it to be successful, the 16 Teledyne's 2.3 μm cutoff 2048x2048 pixels IR HgCdTe detectors of the focal plane must show very high performances over more than 95% of pixels, in terms of median dark current, total noise, budget error on non-linearity after correction, residual dark due to latency effects and quantum efficiency. This will be verified through a thorough characterization of their performances, leading to the production of the pixel map calibration database for the Euclid mission. Characterization is challenging in many ways: each detector will have to be fully and accurately characterized in less than three weeks, with rather tight requirements: dark current at the 10-3 e-/s level with 10% accuracy, relative Pixel Response map better than 1%, obtained with an illumination flatness better than 1%, measurements alternating dark and high level illumination taking care of latency impacts. Due to statistics needs, very long runs (24h without interrupts) of scripted measurements would be executed. Systematics of the test bench should be at the end the limiting factor of the parameter measurement accuracy. Test plan, facilities with functionalities developed for those specific purposes and associated performances will be described.
The detector system (DS) of Euclid NISP’s instrument (Near-Infrared Spectro-Photometer) is a matrix of 16 H2RG infrared detectors acquired simultaneously. After their characterization done at CPPM (Centre de Physique des Particules de Marseille), these detectors are integrated into a mechanical structure designed at LAM (Laboratoire d'Astronomie de Marseille) and called NI-FPA (Focal Plane Array) Before delivering the full instrument to ESA several test models have to demonstrate the performances of the detector system. The first test model, the Demonstrator Model (DM), has been integrated and tested in dedicated facilities at LAM. The aim was to validate both the integration process and the simultaneous acquisition of the detectors. Dark, noise, self-compatibility and EMC performances are presented in this paper.
The success of the Euclid's NISP (Near-Infrared Spectro-Photometer) instrument for the Euclid mission requires very high performance detectors for which tight specifications have been defined. These must be verified over more than 95% of the focal plane which is equipped with 16 H2RG infrared pixel detectors. Teledyne will provide these detectors and their electronics under ESA and NASA contracts. The detectors will be selected, qualified then delivered to the NISP instrument under Euclid specifications. To prepare the future calibration plan, these detectors must also be fully characterized at the pixel level before their integration. This characterization is crucial to the future processing and in-flight calibration. For a good control of the performance, the detector specifications for Euclid require in one hand to know some characteristics such as noise and dark current at a level as low as 10-3 e- /s , but also in other hand, require to have model of some specific properties of these detectors such as their non-linearity response, or their latency signals, which will imply specific measurements, characterization and studies. For this purpose, we have constructed dedicated facilities, and prepared a full test plan with adapted analysis methods and software tools that will be used to calibrate flight detectors. Here we describe the status of this plan, the facilities and their validation. We then present some preliminary results on dark current, total noise, CDS noise and some first estimations of persistence, using high performance engineering grade Euclid detectors provided by ESA. A pilot run is foreseen at the end of the year to validate the full test plan. Next step will be the characterization of flight detectors expected to start mid 2016.
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