The Kitt Peak Electron Multiplying CCD demonstrator. Issue 1 (17th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coughlin, Michael W; Dekany, Richard G; Duev, Dmitry A; Feeney, Michael; Kulkarni, S R; Riddle, Reed; Ahumada, Tomás; Burdge, Kevin; Dugas, Alison M; Fremling, Christoffer U; Hallinan, Gregg; Prince, Thomas A; van Roestel, Jan
• Is Part Of: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. Volume 485:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 1412
• Page End: 1419
• Publication Date: 2019-02-17
• Subjects: instrumentation: photometers -- techniques: photometric; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stz497
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0035-8711

Abstract

Abstract: The Kitt Peak Electron Multiplying CCD (EMCCD) demonstrator is a new instrument that has been developed for use at the Kitt Peak National Observatory's 84-inch telescope. The EMCCD enables single-band optical imaging in the Sloan g and r bands and Johnson UVRI filters. The EMCCD is chosen for its sub-electron effective read noise using large multiplicative gains. With these systems, frame rates of greater than 1 Hz are possible. The field of view is 4.4 × 4.4 arcmin 2 and the pixel size is 0.259 arcsec. This camera, coupled with a fully roboticized telescope, is ideal for follow-up of short period, white dwarf binary candidates, as well as short duration transient and periodic sources identified by large field-of-view all-sky surveys such as the Zwicky Transient Facility.