21 June 2023 Fat cosmic ray tracks in charge-coupled devices
Theodore A. Grosson, Andrei Nomerotski, The LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Cosmic rays are particles from the upper atmosphere, which often leave bright spots and trails in images from telescope charge-coupled devices (CCDs). We investigate so-called “fat” cosmic rays seen in images from Vera C. Rubin Observatory and the Subaru Telescope. These tracks are much wider and brighter than typical cosmic ray tracks and therefore are more capable of obscuring data in science images. By understanding the origins of these tracks, we can better ensure that they do not interfere with on-sky data. We compare the properties of these tracks to simulated and theoretical models to identify both the particles causing these tracks as well as the reason for their excess spread. We propose that the origin of these tracks is cosmic ray protons, which deposit much greater charge in the CCDs than typical cosmic rays due to their lower velocities. The generated charges then repel each other while drifting through the detector, resulting in a track that is much wider than typical tracks.

© 2023 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)
Theodore A. Grosson, Andrei Nomerotski, and The LSST Dark Energy Science Collaboration "Fat cosmic ray tracks in charge-coupled devices," Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 9(2), 028006 (21 June 2023). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JATIS.9.2.028006
Received: 22 February 2023; Accepted: 9 June 2023; Published: 21 June 2023
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KEYWORDS
Charge-coupled devices

Muons

Particles

Electrons

Atmospheric particles

Point spread functions

Diffusion

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