Detectors for ACS

The Advanced Camera for Surveys employs two different types of detectors:

• Charge Coupled Device (CCD) detectors for the Wide Field Channel (WFC) and the High Resolution Channel (HRC)

  • The WFC detector, called ACS/WFC, employs a mosaic of two 2048 × 4096 Scientific Imaging Technologies (SITe) CCDs, with a ~0.05 arcsecond square pixels, covering a nominal 210 × 204 arcseconds square field of view, and a spectral response from ~270 to 1100 nm.

  • The HRC detector, called ACS/HRC, is a 1024 × 1024 SITe CCD, with ~0.025 arcsecond square pixels, covering a nominal 25 × 25 arcsecond square field of view, and spectral response from ~200 to 1100 nm.

• Photon-counting detector, a Multi Anode Microchannel Array (MAMA), for the Solar Blind Channel (SBC). It is a photon-counting detector which provides a two-dimensional ultraviolet capability. It has ~0.029 arcsecond pixels, and a nominal 25 × 25 arcsecond square field of view, with a far-UV spectral response from 115-170 nm.

For a more detailed description of the three optical channels of ACS see the instrument overview page.