Poisson_CCD: A dedicated simulator for modeling CCDs

TL;DR

Poisson_CCD is a specialized, open-source simulator that models astronomical CCDs by solving Poisson's equation and simulating charge transport, providing realistic charge distribution predictions validated against real measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a dedicated, self-consistent simulation tool for CCD modeling, specifically tailored for astronomical applications like the LSST camera.

Findings

Validated against real CCD measurements including astrometric shifts and pixel covariances.

Accurately models charge distribution and diffusion effects within CCDs.

Open source code available for community use and further development.

Abstract

A dedicated simulator, Poisson_CCD, has been constructed which models astronomical CCDs by solving Poisson's equation numerically and simulating charge transport within the CCD. The potentials and free carrier densities within the CCD are self-consistently solved for, giving realistic results for the charge distribution within the CCD storage wells. The simulator has been used to model the CCDs which are being used to construct the LSST digital camera. The simulator output has been validated by comparing its predictions with several different types of CCD measurements, including astrometric shifts, brighter-fatter induced pixel-pixel covariances, saturation effects, and diffusion spreading. The code is open source and freely available.