CCD ASTRONOMY

Part of the Cambridge Observing Handbooks for Research Astronomers series, the second edition of the Handbook of CCD Astronomy considers higher-performance electronics to control and read out CCDs, better analog-to-digital circuitry and better manufactured devices. The 222-page publication discusses characterization, including quantum efficiency, readout noise, dark current, pixel size and binning, and gain and dynamic range. It includes sections on imaging and on spectroscopy, photometry and astrometry, as well as CCDs used in space and at short wavelengths. Researchers in physics, chemistry, medical imaging and remote sensing also will find it useful. Charts, diagrams, exercises, references and an index are provided. Steve B. Howell; Cambridge University Press, UK, 2006; $39.99, paperback, $95, hardbound.