On-Orbit Performance of the GLAST Burst Monitor Curran D. Muhlberger (RA) Charles A. Meegan (PI) Cornell University University of Maryland August 8, 2008
What is GLAST? What is GBM? What is it Good for? Outline 1 Background What is GLAST? What is GBM? What is it Good for? 2 3
What is GLAST? What is GBM? What is it Good for? What is GLAST? Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope Successor to Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Launched Wednesday, June 11, 2008 Two instruments: Large Area Telescope (LAT) GLAST Burst Monitor (GBM)
Background What is GLAST? What is GBM? What is it Good for? What is GBM? The GLAST Burst Monitor supports the LAT by detecting and localizing gamma-ray bursts. Digital successor to BATSE 12 NaI detectors 2 BGO detectors (overlap LAT energy range) Extremely large field-of-view Rapid burst notification for robotic telescopes
What is GLAST? What is GBM? What is it Good for? What is it Good for? Gamma-ray bursts are the most powerful events in the Universe Most gamma-ray sources are still unidentified High energy astronomy can probe fundamental physics
Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation Outline 1 Background 2 Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation 3
Background Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation GIOC Display Panel Real-time display wall powered by STK
Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation InterPlanetary Network Software Features Generate high-res lightcurve from TTE data Choose detectors to maximize signal-to-noise Correctly adjust for leap seconds and deadtime Format output for use by existing software Count Rate [cps] Count Rate [cps] Count Rate [cps] 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 3000 2500 2000 1500 Comparison of GRB Lightcurves Time from Trigger [s] IPN CTIME CSPEC 1000-4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 The InterPlanetary Network uses observations from multiple spacecraft to pinpoint a burst s location.
Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation Performance Evaluation Software Software Products Portable C library for processing Level 1 data Consistency check for CSPEC, CTIME, and TTE Burst hardness calculator Parser for Automatic Gain Control diagnostic packets Coincidence rate calculator Bug discovery and diagnosis Energy [kev] Timescale [ms] z max Rate [yr 1 ] 50-300 64 4.5 23.5 50-300 128 4.5 11.8 10-50 64 5.5 0.3 10-50 128 5.5 0.0 100 64 5.5 0.3 100 128 5.5 0.1
Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation Software IOTL parser and report generator IOTL/ATS comparison parser Online database viewers Level 0 files by date Level 1 continuous files Level 1 trigger files
Collaboration Support Performance Evaluation Web Applications
Outline Background Current Status The End 1 Background 2 3 Current Status The End
Background Current Status The End GIOC features functional and stylish real-time display CSPEC, CTIME, and TTE data appear to be self-consistent Timing bugs discovered and diagnosed Trigger algorithm thresholds reset knowing expected coincidence rates IPN to receive custom-formatted high-resolution lightcurves Scientists can quickly calculate burst hardness ratios GBM team members have web access to pipeline databases Operators can quickly check IOTLs for correctness Future programs can build off of a high-level C library Everyone learned something new!
Background Current Status The End Questions?