ICCD camera

One of the most used optical diagnostic techniques in GASURE is based in chemiluminescence. Such process consists in the spontaneous emission of electromagnetic radiation due to chemical reactions in a spectral range between Ultra Violet and Infrarred. In the case of hydrocarbons like methane the peak of this emission is produced from CH and OH and C₂ radicals.

Although the radicals have peaks of emission in the spectral range this intensity is very low. Therefore the signal needs to be amplified using an PRINCETON ICCD (Intensified Charge Coupled Device) camera. The ICCD camera used in GASURE comprises a CCD sensor of 1024x1024 pixels and an intensifier.

The intensifier consists of photocathode, microchannel plate (MCP) and a phosphor screen. Incident photons are converted into electrons by mean of the photocathode according with photoelectric effect, some of the incident photons are lost in this process because of the quantum efficiency (QE) but the electrons obtained in the photocathode are driven through the MCP which has millions of parallel channels where the electrons pass through and collide walls several times generating new electrons and are accelerated until the exit of the MCP. After exiting from MCP, the electrons hit the phosphor screen emitting light photons that are detected by the CCD sensor producing an intensified image of 1024x1024 pixels.