Cooled Intensifier
The Lambert Cooled Intensifier is
a special camera attachment in which the complete Image Intensifier
is cooled to reduce the noise of the photocathode. The noise reduction
factor is at least 100, which means, that in combination with a
low noise S20 photocathode, dark count rates below 0,5 cnts/sec/cm2!!!
can be achieved. This makes it possible to acquire extremely faint
phenomena which otherwise would have been masked by the noise of
the intensifier. The Intensifier is a so-called hybrid tube. A hybrid
tube is a two-stage image intensifier, which consists of a second
generation tube as the first stage and a de-magnifying first generation
tube as a second stage. Using the image intensifier as a de-magnifier
instead of a lens offers a much more efficient coupling to the camera.
With the fast shutter option, called gating, time resolved measurements
are made possible.
The intensifier is cooled by means
of a thermo-electric cooler (peltier cooler) The hot side of the
peltier element is cooled with water. The intensifier is placed
in an isolated housing and is thermally shielded from the outside
by two isolating glass windows. A no-dew element prevents condensation
of the input window.
A separate temperature control unit
contains all the necessary electronics to provide power to the peltier
elements and to control the temperature accurately. The unit also
provides the power for the Image intensifiers.
Applications of the Cooled Intensifier
are:
- astronomy
- photon imaging
(.pdf
)
|