The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission

doi:10.1086/422091

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The Astrophysical Journal Volume 611 Number 2 Create an alert RSS this journal

N. Gehrels et al. 2004 ApJ 611 1005 doi:10.1086/422091

The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission

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N. Gehrels¹, G. Chincarini^2,3, P. Giommi⁴, K. O. Mason⁵, J. A. Nousek⁶, A. A. Wells⁷, N. E. White¹, S. D. Barthelmy¹, D. N. Burrows⁶, L. R. Cominsky⁸, K. C. Hurley⁹, F. E. Marshall¹, P. Mészáros⁶, P. W. A. Roming⁶, L. Angelini^1,10, L. M. Barbier¹, T. Belloni², S. Campana², P. A. Caraveo¹¹, M. M. Chester⁶, O. Citterio², T. L. Cline¹, M. S. Cropper⁵, J. R. Cummings^1,12, A. J. Dean¹³, E. D. Feigelson⁶, E. E. Fenimore¹⁴, D. A. Frail¹⁵, A. S. Fruchter¹⁶, G. P. Garmire⁶, K. Gendreau¹, G. Ghisellini², J. Greiner¹⁷, J. E. Hill⁶, S. D. Hunsberger⁶, H. A. Krimm^1,10, S. R. Kulkarni¹⁸, P. Kumar¹⁹, F. Lebrun²⁰, N. M. Lloyd-Ronning²¹, C. B. Markwardt^1,22, B. J. Mattson^1,22,23, R. F. Mushotzky¹, J. P. Norris¹, J. Osborne²⁴, B. Paczynski²⁵, D. M. Palmer¹⁴, H.-S. Park²⁶, A. M. Parsons¹, J. Paul²⁰, M. J. Rees²⁷, C. S. Reynolds²², J. E. Rhoads¹⁶, T. P. Sasseen²⁸, B. E. Schaefer¹⁹, A. T. Short²⁴, A. P. Smale^1,10, I. A. Smith²⁹, L. Stella³⁰, G. Tagliaferri², T. Takahashi^31,32, M. Tashiro^31,33, L. K. Townsley⁶, J. Tueller¹, M. J. L. Turner²⁴, M. Vietri³⁴, W. Voges¹⁷, M. J. Ward²⁴, R. Willingale⁷, F. M. Zerbi² and W. W. Zhang¹

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¹ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771
² Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via Brera 28, I-20121 Milan, Italy
³ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, via G. Celoria, 16, I-20133 Milan, Italy
⁴ Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Science Data Center, Via di Villa Grazioli, I-00198 Rome, Italy
⁵ Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, RH5 6NT Surrey, UK
⁶ Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802
⁷ Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, LE1 7RH Leicester, UK
⁸ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
⁹ Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Grizzly Peak at Centennial Drive, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411
¹⁰ Universities Space Research Association, 10227 Wincopin Circle, Suite 212, Columbia, MD 21044
¹¹ Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Bassini 15, I-20133 Milan, Italy
¹² National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20418
¹³ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Highfield, S017 1BJ Southampton, UK
¹⁴ Los Alamos National Laboratory, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545
¹⁵ National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801
¹⁶ Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218
¹⁷ Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse Postfach 1312, D-85748 Garching, Germany
¹⁸ Astronomy Option, California Institute of Technology, MS 105-24, Pasadena, CA 91125
¹⁹ Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, RLM 15.308, Austin, TX 78712-1083
²⁰ Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, DSM/DAPNIA/SAP, Centre d'Etudes de Saclay, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette Cedex, France
²¹ Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, McClennan Laboratories, University of Toronto, 60 St. George Street, Toronto ON M5S 3H8, Canada
²² Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421
²³ L-3 Communications EER, Chantilly, VA 20151
²⁴ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, LE1 7RH Leicester, UK
²⁵ Princeton University Observatory, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544-1001
²⁶ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California, P.O. Box 808, L-413, Livermore, CA 94551
²⁷ Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, CB3 0HA Cambridge, UK
²⁸ Department of Physics, University of California, Broida Hall, Building 572, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9530
²⁹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, MS 61, 6100 South Main, Houston, TX 77005-1892
³⁰ Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Sede di Monteporzio Catone, Via di Frascati, 33, I-00040 Rome, Italy
³¹ Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Sagamihara, 229-8510 Kanagawa, Japan
³² Department of Physics, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, 113 Tokyo, Japan
³³ Department of Physics, Saitama University, Sakura, Saitama, Japan
³⁴ Osservatorio Astronomico di Arcetri, Università degli Studi di Firenzi, Largo Enrico Fermi, 5, I-50125 Florence, Italy

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Abstract References Cited By

The Swift mission, scheduled for launch in 2004, is a multiwavelength observatory for gamma-ray burst (GRB) astronomy. It is a first-of-its-kind autonomous rapid-slewing satellite for transient astronomy and pioneers the way for future rapid-reaction and multiwavelength missions. It will be far more powerful than any previous GRB mission, observing more than 100 bursts yr^-1 and performing detailed X-ray and UV/optical afterglow observations spanning timescales from 1 minute to several days after the burst. The objectives are to (1) determine the origin of GRBs, (2) classify GRBs and search for new types, (3) study the interaction of the ultrarelativistic outflows of GRBs with their surrounding medium, and (4) use GRBs to study the early universe out to z > 10. The mission is being developed by a NASA-led international collaboration. It will carry three instruments: a new-generation wide-field gamma-ray (15-150 keV) detector that will detect bursts, calculate 1'-4' positions, and trigger autonomous spacecraft slews; a narrow-field X-ray telescope that will give 5'' positions and perform spectroscopy in the 0.2-10 keV band; and a narrow-field UV/optical telescope that will operate in the 170-600 nm band and provide 0 farcs 3 positions and optical finding charts. Redshift determinations will be made for most bursts. In addition to the primary GRB science, the mission will perform a hard X-ray survey to a sensitivity of ~1 mcrab (~2 × 10^-11 ergs cm^-2 s^-1 in the 15-150 keV band), more than an order of magnitude better than HEAO 1 A-4. A flexible data and operations system will allow rapid follow-up observations of all types of high-energy transients, with rapid data downlink and uplink available through the NASA TDRSS system. Swift transient data will be rapidly distributed to the astronomical community, and all interested observers are encouraged to participate in follow-up measurements. A Guest Investigator program for the mission will provide funding for community involvement. Innovations from the Swift program applicable to the future include (1) a large-area gamma-ray detector using the new CdZnTe detectors, (2) an autonomous rapid-slewing spacecraft, (3) a multiwavelength payload combining optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray instruments, (4) an observing program coordinated with other ground-based and space-based observatories, and (5) immediate multiwavelength data flow to the community. The mission is currently funded for 2 yr of operations, and the spacecraft will have a lifetime to orbital decay of ~8 yr.

An Erratum for this article has been published in 2005 ApJ 621 558

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