CHARACTERIZATION OF SOLID-STATE ARRAY CAMERAS FOR THE MID-IR

We present a characterization of some processes affecting the performance of solid state array cameras designed for ground based astronomical imaging in the 8-13mum atmospheric window. Our discussion includes a novel model for electron-hole generation-recombination noise based on the probable pathlength of an electron in a photoconductor. We use the Berkeley mid-IR Array Camera as an example. For this camera, the results show that the total optical system composed of the camera, a 3m telescope, and the atmosphere has an efficiency of about 3%, a 1sigma noise equivalent flux density of 25 mJy min-1/2 arcsec-2 measured over a DELTAlambda/lambda = 10% band width, and a noise equivalent expressed as the ambient temperature thermal black body noise of 23%.