Performance Comparison of Streak Camera Recording Systems

Performance characteristics of various readout systems coupled to an EGG-AVO streak camera were analyzed and compared to scaling estimates. The purpose of the work was to determine the limits of the streak camera performance and the optimal fielding conditions for the Amador Valley Operations(AV0) streak camera systems. We measured streak camera limitations in spatial resolution and sensitivity. Streak camera limits on spatial resolution are greater than 18 lp/mm at 4% contrast. However, it will be difficult to make use of any resolution greater than this because of high spatial frequency variation in the photocathode sensitivity. We have measured a signal to noise of 3000 with 0.3 mW/cm2 of 830 nm light at a 10 ns/mm sweep speed. We have compared lens coupling systems with and without micro-channel plate intensifiers and systems using film or charge coupled device (CCD) readout. There were no conditions where film was found to be an improvement over the CCD readout. Systems utilizing a CCD readout without an intensifier have comparable resolution, for these source sizes and at a nominal cost in signal to noise of 3, over those with an intensifier. Estimates of the signal-to-noise for different light coupling methods show how performance can be improved. IXSTRIBUTION OF THE DOCUMENT IS UNLJMITE 1