False Alarm Rate based Statistical Detection Limit for Astronomical Photon Detectors
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arXiv
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| Format: | Preprint |
| Publié: |
2024
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| _version_ | 1866918067027574784 |
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| author | Lau, Albert Wai Kit Fung, Leo W. H. Smoot, George F. |
| author_facet | Lau, Albert Wai Kit Fung, Leo W. H. Smoot, George F. |
| contents | In ultra-fast astronomical observations featuring fast transients on sub-$μ$s time scales, the conventional Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) threshold, often fixed at $5σ$, becomes inadequate as observational window timescales shorten, leading to unsustainably high False Alarm Rates (FAR). We provide a basic statistical framework that captures the essential noise generation processes relevant to the analysis of time series data from photon-counting detectors. In particular, we establish a protocol of defining detection limits in astronomical photon-counting experiments, such that a FAR-based criterion is preferred over the traditional SNR-based threshold scheme. We developed statistical models that account for noise sources such as dark counts, sky background, and crosstalk, and establish a probabilistic detection criterion applicable to high-speed detectors. The model is testified against the on-site data obtained in the Single-Photon Imager for Nanosecond Astrophysics (SPINA) experiment and consistency is confirmed. We compare the performance of several detector technologies, including photon-counting CMOS/CCDs, SPADs, SiPMs, and PMTs, in detecting faint astronomical signals. These findings offer insights into optimizing detector choice for future ultra-fast astronomical instruments and suggest pathways for improving detection fidelity under rapid observational conditions. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2409_15536 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | False Alarm Rate based Statistical Detection Limit for Astronomical Photon Detectors Lau, Albert Wai Kit Fung, Leo W. H. Smoot, George F. Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics In ultra-fast astronomical observations featuring fast transients on sub-$μ$s time scales, the conventional Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) threshold, often fixed at $5σ$, becomes inadequate as observational window timescales shorten, leading to unsustainably high False Alarm Rates (FAR). We provide a basic statistical framework that captures the essential noise generation processes relevant to the analysis of time series data from photon-counting detectors. In particular, we establish a protocol of defining detection limits in astronomical photon-counting experiments, such that a FAR-based criterion is preferred over the traditional SNR-based threshold scheme. We developed statistical models that account for noise sources such as dark counts, sky background, and crosstalk, and establish a probabilistic detection criterion applicable to high-speed detectors. The model is testified against the on-site data obtained in the Single-Photon Imager for Nanosecond Astrophysics (SPINA) experiment and consistency is confirmed. We compare the performance of several detector technologies, including photon-counting CMOS/CCDs, SPADs, SiPMs, and PMTs, in detecting faint astronomical signals. These findings offer insights into optimizing detector choice for future ultra-fast astronomical instruments and suggest pathways for improving detection fidelity under rapid observational conditions. |
| title | False Alarm Rate based Statistical Detection Limit for Astronomical Photon Detectors |
| topic | Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.15536 |