Large Frame-Transfer Detectors for the MAIA Imager
Jes\'us P\'erez Padilla, Simon Tulloch, Gert Raskin, Saskia Prins,, Florian Merges, Wim Pessemier, Steven Bloemen

TL;DR
This paper introduces the design, characterization, and data acquisition system of large frame-transfer CCD detectors used in the MAIA imager, a high-speed, multi-band photometric instrument for stellar observations.
Contribution
It presents the first implementation and detailed analysis of large frame-transfer CCD42-C0 detectors in a multi-channel astronomical imager, optimizing exposure times across bands.
Findings
Successful integration of CCD42-C0 detectors in MAIA
Thorough characterization including non-linearity analysis
Optimized exposure synchronization across channels
Abstract
MAIA, the Mercator Advanced Imager for Asteroseismology, is a new fast-cadence 3-channel photometric instrument. It is installed on the 1.2-m Mercator telescope at the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Spain. MAIA comprises 3 cameras that simultaneously observe the same 9.4 x 14.1 arcmin field in 3 different colour bands (u, g and r). Each camera is based on a very large frame-transfer detector (CCD42-C0) of 2kx6k pixels, specially designed for rapid time-series photometry. These CCDs were originally developed by e2v for ESA's cancelled Eddington space mission and are now on permanent loan to the Institute of Astronomy of the KU Leuven, Belgium. The acquisition system of MAIA uses a single ARC GEN-III controller, custom programmed to allow differing exposure times for each of the three CCDs. Predefined sequences synchronize each read-out with the shortest integration time.…
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Taxonomy
TopicsStellar, planetary, and galactic studies · CCD and CMOS Imaging Sensors · Astronomy and Astrophysical Research
