Sensors such as CCDs are largely analog devices (up to the A-to-D converter), where thermal noise / shot noise etc. are things that matter. Cooling a CCD via ac

Sensors such as CCDs are largely analog devices (up to the A-to-D converter), where thermal noise / shot noise etc. are things that matter. Cooling a CCD via active cooling or a heat sink will help lower the noise floor and improve the signal-to-noise ratio and thus picture quality.