Testing Charge Coupled Devices for use in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) will require a camera that is very fast, while still having great detail and contrast for imaging the night sky. The research group at UC Davis will test multiple Charge Coupled Devices (CCDs) in order to determine their ability to meet the requirements of this camera. Because of the uniqueness of the LSST, previous CCD testing has been unable to confirm the behavior of CCDs in this environment. For our tests, we will create a realistic illumination identical to the LSST f/1.2 camera beam. This will allow us to confirm that the CCDs that are installed in the LSST will be able to provide the data that is necessary for the LSST project. As a result, we will be able to observe a much larger section of the night sky, in great detail, much more frequently, than has ever been done before.