Paola Amico – författare

These are the proceedings of a workshop held at the European Southern Observatory in October 1996, a workshop which concentrated on optical detectors for astronomy. Representatives from leading manufacturers and the major astronomical observatories came together to present their work on Charged Coupled Devices (CCDs). The papers contained in these proceedings are concerned with the development, manufacture, testing and implementation of CCDs. Many discuss the electronics (hardware and software) that are used to operate these detectors. Astronomical observatories are the most ambitious and aggressive users of optical detectors, more so than any other scientific discipline. Since the quantum efficiency and noise of a detector have a direct effect on the quality of science, the makers of astronomical CCD systems continually push the "envelope" of optical detector technology. The papers contained in these proceedings present the state-of-the-art of CCDs and information on research and development efforts that should continue for several years.

The proceedings of a workshop held at the European Southern Observatory in September 1999, the 4th workshop of a series, which concentrates on optical detectors for astronomy. Representatives from every leading manufacturer and all major astronomical observatories came together to present their work on Charged Coupled Devices (CCDs). The papers presented in these proceedings are concerned with the development, manufacture, testing, implementation, new techniques and applications of CCDs. Many discuss the electronics that are used to operate these detectors. Astronomical observatories are the most ambitious and aggressive users of optical detectors, more so than any other scientific discipline. Since the quantum efficiency and noise of a detector have a direct effect on the quality of science, the makers of astronomical CCD systems continually "push the envelope" of optical detection technology. The papers contained in these proceedings provide the reader with the state of the art in CCD technology and contain information on research and development efforts, for ground-based and space-based applications, that should continue for several years.

The 2005 meeting in Taormina, Italy was attended by 127 professionals who develop and use the highest quality detectors for wavelengths from x-ray to sub-mm, with emphasis on optical and infrared detectors. The meeting consisted of overview talks, technical presentations, poster sessions and roundtable discussions. These proceedings capture the technical content and the spirit of the 2005 workshop. The 87 papers cover a wide range of detector technologies including CCDs, CMOS, APDs, and sub-mm detectors. There are papers on observatory status and plans, special applications, detector testing and characterization, and electronics. A special feature of these proceedings is the inclusion of pedagogical overview papers, which were written by teams of leading experts from different institutions. These proceedings are appropriate for a range of expertise levels, from undergraduates to professionals working in the field. The information presented in this book will serve as a valuable reference for many years to come.This workshop was organized by the Scientific Workshop Factory, Inc. and the INAF- Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania.

th The 4 ESO CCO Workshop, Optical Detectors for Astronomy, was held during September 13-16, 1999 at its usual location, the headquarters of the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany. We prefer to remember this workshop as a "meeting of friends", who came to Garching to visit ESO and to present their work, rather than a formal meeting. Based on our experience with the 1996 ESO CCO workshop, we deliberately put emphasis on creating an environment that encouraged the participants to stay together and informally exchange ideas. These informal events began with a tour of the BWM auto factory and continued with a reception at "SchloB Beletic", the conference dinner at a real SchloB of the Bavarian International School (where the participants enjoyed basket, baseball, table soccer, rock climbing and eventually dancing) and concluded with a tour of the Paulaner Brewery and dinner at the Seehaus in the Englisher Garten. The lunch "Biergarten", adjacent to the poster session area, was a daily meeting point. The result was a good mixture of excellent presentations and posters, collected in these Proceedings, and many occasions for people to get in touch and to have fun together, as witnessed by the selection of workshop pictures that we randomly placed between papers. This book contains a special contribution.

The Workshop "Optical Detectors for Astronomy" was held during October 8-10, 1996 at the headquarters of the European Southern Observatory in Garching, Germany. This was the third meeting of its kind, previous meetings being held in 1991 and 1993, but this is the first ESO "CCD Workshop" that has published proceedings. Most of the leading manufacturers and major astronomical observatories were represented, with the 117 attendees coming together from 14 different countries that spanned every continent on Earth. The motivation for the ESO CCD Workshop series is the creation of informal and open venue of information exchange about astronomical CCD detectors and systems. Judging from the reaction and feedback of the participants, the 1996 workshop was as successful as the previous editions, which is a credit to all who attended. The Workshop was organized as a mixture of invited talks, oral presentations, poster sessions and roundtable discussions, the latter used to foster a free exchange of ideas among participants. These technical sessions were complemented by an opening reception and a congenial evening in downtown Munich, which included a walking tour of the historic area followed by dinner at the famous Franziskaner brewery and an after dinner talk by Walter Kosonocky, who reviewed the history of CCD technology.