The g-Ray Burst-Detection System of the INTEGRAL-Spectrometer SPI
G. G. Lichti, R. Georgii, A. von Kienlin,
V. Sch–nfelder, C. Wunderer
H.-J. Jung
K. Hurley
Abstract
The determination of the precise location of g-ray bursts
is an important task of g-ray astronomy. Although g-ray
burst locations can be obtained now already from single experiments
(BATSE, COMPTEL, BeppoSax) the location of bursts via triangulation using
the interplanetary network is still important because not all bursts will
be located precisely enough by these instruments. In order to get location
accuracies down to arcseconds via triangulation one needs long baselines.
At the beginning of the next decade several spacecrafts which explore the
outer planetary system (the Mars-Surveyor Orbiter, the Pluto Express and
probably Ulysses) will carry g-ray burst instruments. INTEGRAL as
a near-earth spacecraft is the ideal counterpart for these satellites for
the determination of precise g-ray burst locations using the
interplanetary network.
The anticoincidence shield of the INTEGRAL-spectrometer SPI consists of
512 kg of BGO crystals. This massive scintillator allows the measurement
of g-ray bursts with a very high sensitivity. Estimations have
shown that with SPI some hundred g-ray bursts per year on the
5 s level can be measured, having an equivalent sensitivity to
BATSE. The g-ray burst detection system of SPI will be described
here, its technical features will be presented and the scientific
capabilities will be assessed.
File translated from TEX by TTH, version 2.32.
On 16 Jul 1999, 09:19.