WFPC2 CTE Characterization

Abstract

The limiting factor of the accuracy of WFPC2 photometry is the CTE loss, which has increased to the level of 50% or more for faint stars at the top of the chips. I describe recent work on characterizing this effect, and provide improved equations for CTE correction. I also examine issues affecting background measurement, which if not done correctly can introduce artificial nonlinearities into photometry.