The Signal-to-Noise Ratio for Photon Counting After Photometric Corrections

Abstract

Photon counting is a mode of processing astronomical observations of low-signal targets that have been observed using an electron-multiplying charge-coupled device (EMCCD). In photon counting, the EMCCD amplifies the signal, and a thresholding technique effectively selects for the signal electrons while drastically reducing relative noise sources. Photometric corrections have been developed which result in the extraction of a more accurate estimate of the signal of electrons, and the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope will utilize a theoretical expression for the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) given these corrections based on well-calibrated noise parameters to plan observations taken by its coronagraph instrument. I derive here analytic expressions for the SNR for the method of photon counting, before and after these photometric corrections have been applied.