white space
white space Skip Navigation and go to the main contents
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
+ NASA HOME
+ Contact NASA 		white space
SEARCH
Go
The Wide Field Camera3, hubble's next evolution
WFC3 Overivew WFC3 timeline and updates Technology Go to documents page Team and partners Image library Log on to private site
spacer

+ Home
WFC3 technology
INSATLLATION
SCHEMATICS
DETECTORS
FILTERS
space
Channel & detector capabilities part 2 previous part
The detectors represent the core hardware of the WFC3 instrument. It is in these devices that rapidly advancing technology plays the biggest role. A detector works like an electronic version of a human eye. Its photosensitive pixels convert optical (light) information into an electric charge. A greater charge corresponds to a brighter point of light for each pixel.
relative fields-of-view and resolutions « Click to Enlarge

This illustration shows the relative fields-of-view and resolutions for all of Hubble's imaging instruments.

The detectors are color coded according to the material they are made out of.



UVis Channel --- CCD Detector
CCD
» Click to Enlarge
Two rectangular CCD Detectors (2x4K) embedded in a silicon wafer.

» Making CCD's
Click here for a special feature on the subject.
 The WFC3 UV channel utilizes two 2x4K pixel CCD detectors from E2V Technologies. By coating the detectors with special anti-reflective coatings, they may be made extremely sensitive in spectral areas previously unavailable. The detectors are sensitive from a range of 200 to 1000 nanometers.

Advances in UVis technology allow extremely high quantum efficiencies, better than 50%, or one-half electron/photon per pixel. Together with the large format of the UVis array, high resolution imaging at a broader spectral range is now possible. With these highly efficient detectors, the entire instrumental efficiency is raised significantly above current capabilities.

The combination of high-efficiency detectors and anti-reflective coatings allows WFC3 to maintain the Near-UV sensitivity of ACS in high-resolution mode, while meeting or exceeding the response of ACS in wide-field mode.

IR Channel --- IR Detector
IR detecotrs
» Click to Enlarge
IR Detectors shown in various sizes.		   The IR channel uses a 1024 x 1024 pixel HgCdTe (Mercury - Cadmium - Tellurium) detector developed by Teledyne Technologies. Detectors with this cutoff wavelength were developed by Teledyne Technologies specifically for the WFC3 program. It is sensitive in the region of 800 - 1700 nanometers.

By placing the long wavelength cutoff at 1700 nm rather than at longer wavelengths, this IR detector can be operated at higher temperatures than typical IR detectors. By raising the operating temperature of the detector, cooling can be accomplished using simpler and cheaper thermoelectric coolers (TECs) rather than complex cryogens or mechanical coolers as are used in NICMOS.

previous part



USA.gov


+ Inspector General Hotline
+ Budgets, Strategic Plans and Accountability Reports
+ Freedom of Information Act
+ The President's Management Agenda
+ Privacy Policy and Important Notices


NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Curator: Lori Tyahla
Content Manager: Lori Tyahla
NASA Official: Randy Kimble
Last Updated: February 09, 2007
+ Contact WFC3 Webmaster