Noise-equivalent flux density

In optics the noise-equivalent flux density (NEFD) or noise-equivalent irradiance (NEI) of a system is the level of flux density required to be equivalent to the noise present in the system.^[1] It is a measure used by astronomers in determining the accuracy of observations.^[2]

The NEFD can be related to a light detector's noise-equivalent power for a collection area A and a photon bandwidth ${\displaystyle \nu }$ by:

${\displaystyle \mathrm {NEFD} =\eta {\frac {\mathrm {NEP} }{A\nu }}}$,

where a factor ${\displaystyle \eta }$ (often 2, in the case of switching between measuring a source and measuring off-source) accounts for the photon statistics for the mode of operation.

See also

External quantum efficiency