Louis M. Barbier

The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on the SWIFT Midex Mission

Abstracthe burst alert telescope (BAT) is one of three instruments on the Swift MIDEX spacecraft to study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The BAT first detects the GRB and localizes the burst direction to an accuracy of 1–4 arcmin within 20 s after the start of the event. The GRB trigger initiates an autonomous spacecraft slew to point the two narrow field-of-view (FOV) instruments at the burst location within 20–70 s so to make follow-up X-ray and optical observations. The BAT is a wide-FOV, coded-aperture instrument with a CdZnTe detector plane. The detector plane is composed of 32,768 pieces of CdZnTe (4×4×2 mm), and the coded-aperture mask is composed of ∼52,000 pieces of lead (5×5×1 mm) with a 1-m separation between mask and detector plane. The BAT operates over the 15–150 keV energy range with ∼7 keV resolution, a sensitivity of ∼10−8 erg s−1 cm−2, and a 1.4 sr (half-coded) FOV. We expect to detect > 100 GRBs/year for a 2-year mission. The BAT also performs an all-sky hard X-ray survey with a sensitivity of ∼2 m Crab (systematic limit) and it serves as a hard X-ray transient monitor.

A giant γ-ray flare from the magnetar SGR 1806-20

Two classes of rotating neutron stars—soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and anomalous X-ray pulsars—are magnetars, whose X-ray emission is powered by a very strong magnetic field (B ≈ 1015 G). SGRs occasionally become ‘active’, producing many short X-ray bursts. Extremely rarely, an SGR emits a giant flare with a total energy about a thousand times higher than in a typical burst. Here we report that SGR 1806–20 emitted a giant flare on 27 December 2004. The total (isotropic) flare energy is 2 × 1046 erg, which is about a hundred times higher than the other two previously observed giant flares. The energy release probably occurred during a catastrophic reconfiguration of the neutron stars magnetic field. If the event had occurred at a larger distance, but within 40 megaparsecs, it would have resembled a short, hard γ-ray burst, suggesting that flares from extragalactic SGRs may form a subclass of such bursts.1 Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA 2 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA 3 NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center, NSSTC, XD-12, 320 Sparkman Dr., Huntsville, AL 35805, USA 4 Department of Physics, Ben Gurion University, POB 653, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel 5 Astronomical Institute “Anton Pannekoek”, University of Amsterdam, Kruislaan 403, 1098 SJ, Amster-

Corotating MeV/amu ion enhancements at ≤1 AU from 1978 to 1986

MeV/amu ion enhancements associated with corotating high-speed solar wind streams in 1978–1986 during pre-solar maximum to near solar minimum conditions are studied using ISEE 3/ICE, IMP 8, and Helios 1 data. Around 50% of corotating streams contain energetic ion increases. These increases extend to ∼25 MeV/amu, where they merge into the galactic cosmic ray background, and are most evident approaching solar minimum. Sunward ion streaming in the solar wind frame (first-order anisotropy ∼20%) and positive radial intensity gradients (∼400%/AU) are consistent with acceleration in the outer heliosphere at corotating shocks followed by streaming into the inner heliosphere. The spectra and intensities show little solar cycle variation. The spectra of ions from protons to Fe at ∼2–20 MeV/amu are approximated equally well by exponentials in momentum dJ/dP ≈ exp (−P/P0), P0 = 11–16 MeV c−1 amu−1, or by distribution functions ƒ ≈ exp (−υ/υ0), υ0 = 0.18–0.25 (MeV/amu)1/2, with equivalent power law in energy slopes in the range ∼ −3 to −4. Ion abundances are correlated with the stream peak solar wind speed. In slower corotating streams (maximum solar wind speed <600 km/s), mean abundance ratios are protons/4He = 43 ± 18; 4He/O = 54 ± 23; C/O = 0.62 ± 0.06; Mg/O = 0.19 ± 0.03, and Fe/O = 0.14 ± 0.02. These show some similarity to the corresponding ratios for “solar energetic particles” (SEP) (protons/4He = 70 ± 10; 4He/O = 55 ± 3; C/O = 0.48 ± 0.02; Mg/O = 0.21 ± 0.01 and Fe/O = 0.16 ± 0.02) which are typically accelerated by shocks passing through slow solar wind. In corotating events in higher-speed streams, these ratios become protons/4He = 19 ± 5; 4He/O = 130 ± 35; C/O = 0.89 ± 0.05; Mg/O = 0.14 ± 0.01, and Fe/O = 0.10 ± 0.01 and more closely resemble the corotating event abundance ratios measured in high-speed streams during the mid-1970s solar minimum (protons/4He = 17 ± 7; 4He/O ∼ 160 ± 50; C/O = 0.89 ± 0.1; Mg/O = 0.13 ± 0.03, and Fe/O = 0.096 ± 0.05). Solar wind plasma may also show similar variations in composition with solar wind speed (based on the limited solar wind composition measurements available) so that the energetic ion compositions are consistent with the acceleration of corotating event ions and SEPs from the solar wind. The ordering of corotating event and solar wind abundances by first ionization potential and their variation with solar wind speed suggest that conditions in the ion-neutral fractionation region in the upper chromosphere determine the abundances and are associated in some way with regulation of the solar wind speed.

The Energetic Particles: Acceleration, Composition, and Transport (EPACT) investigation on the WIND spacecraft

The Energetic Particles: Acceleration, Composition, and Transport (EPACT) investigation is designed to make comprehensive observations of solar, interplanetary, and galactic particles over wide ranges of charge, mass, energy, and intensity using a combination of 8 different particle telescopes. This paper summarizes the scientific goals of EPACT and provides a detailed description of the instrument design and capabilities.Electrons are measured from 0.2 to 10 MeV, primarily providing time markers for injections of solar particles. Hydrogen is measured from 1.4 to 120 MeV, and Helium is measured from 0.04 to 500 MeV nucl−1. The collection powers and energy ranges for heavier nuclei up to iron are ideal for observations of quiet-time populations such as particles accelerated by interplanetary shocks and the anomalous cosmic rays (thought to be accelerated at the boundary of the heliosphere). The large collection power available is also ideal for observations of3He,4He, and heavier nuclei in impulsive3He-rich solar events. There is even the possibility of observing ultra heavy nuclei (Z>30) in large solar events for the first time. Finally, there is a telescope designed to measure isotopes from He (3.4–55 MeV nucl−1) to Fe (12–230 MeV nucl−1), which is intended for solar particles, the anomalous cosmic rays and galactic cosmic rays. The overall capabilities of EPACT provide scientifically interesting measurements over all phases of the solar cycle. There will also be important opportunities for combined studies with other spacecraft, such as SAMPEX, Ulysses, and Voyagers 1 and 2.

Radiation damage and activation of CdZnTe by intermediate energy neutrons

We exposed a CdZnTe detector to MeV neutrons from a 252Cf source and found no performance degradation for fluences below 1010 neutrons cm-2. Detector resolution did show significant degradation at higher neutron fluences. There is evidence of room temperature annealing of the radiation effects over time. Activation lines were observed and the responsible isotopes were identified by the energy and half-life of the lines. These radiation damage studies allow evaluation of the robustness of CdZnTe detectors in high neutron and radiation environments.

CdZnTe strip detector for arcsecond imaging and spectroscopy

A CdZnTe strip detector array with capabilities for arc second imaging and spectroscopy is being developed for a space flight gamma-ray burst instrument. Two dimensional strip detectors with 100 micrometers pitch have been fabricated and wire bonded to readout electronics to demonstrate the ability to localize 22 to 122 keV photons to less than 100 micrometers. In addition, good spectral resolution has been achieved. The uniformity of response and relative efficiency of the strip detector will be discussed. Results form electrical characterization which include strip leakage current and strip capacitance will be presented.

CdZnTe strip detectors for astrophysical arc second imaging and spectroscopy: detector performance and radiation effects

CdZnTe strip detectors have been fabricated and tested to show the ability for arc second imaging and spectroscopy. Two dimensional CdZnTe strip detectors with 100 micron pitch have been fabricated and wire bonded to readout electronics to demonstrate the ability to localize 22 to 122 keV photons to less than 100 microns. Good spectral resolution has also been achieved. The uniformity and relative efficiency of the strip detector are discussed. Radiation damage effects by intermediate energy neutrons and low energy protons on the surface and bulk performance of CdZnTe devices have been investigated and are presented. Activation and annealing of radiation effects have been seen and are discussed.

Periodicities in X-ray Binaries from Swift/BAT Observations

The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board Swift has accumulated extensive light curves for 265 sources (not including GRBs) in the energy range 14 to 200 keV. We present here a summary of searches for periodic modulation in the flux from X-ray binaries. Our results include: determination of the orbital periods of IGR J16418-4532 and IGR J16320-4751; the disappearance of a previously known 9.6 day period in 4U 2206+54; the detection of a 5 hour period in the symbiotic X-ray binary 4U 1954+31, which might be the slowest neutron star rotation period yet discovered; and the detection of flares in the supergiant system 1E 1145.1-6141 which occur at both periastron and apastron passage with nearly equal amplitude. We compare techniques of weighting data points in power spectra and present a method related to the semi-weighted mean which, unlike conventional weighting, works well over a wide range of source brightness.

WIND/EPACT observations of anomalous cosmic rays

Abstract The Energetic Particles, Acceleration, Composition and Transport (EPACT) Experiment on the WIND spacecraft, and especially its large-geometry Low Energy Matrix Telescope (LEMT), is capable of sensitive measurements of ions of the anomalous cosmic-ray (ACR) component above 2 MeV/amu. We report on the energy spectra of He, C, N, O, Ne, S, and Ar and estimate element abundances at the acceleration site.

BASIS mission concept for gamma-ray burst imaging and spectroscopy

We are studying a gamma-ray burst mission concept called burst arcsecond imaging and spectroscopy (BASIS) as part of NASAs new mission concepts for astrophysics program. The scientific objectives are to accurately locate bursts, determine their distance scale, and measure the physical characteristics of the emission region. Arcsecond burst positions (angular resolution approximately 30 arcsec, source positions approximately 3 arcsec) will be obtained for approximately 100 bursts per year using the 10 - 100 keV emission. This will allow the first deep, unconfused counterpart searches at other wavelengths. The key technological breakthrough that makes such measurements possible is the development of CdZnTe room-temperature semiconductor detectors with fine (approximately 100 micron) spatial resolution. Fine spectroscopy will be obtained between 0.2 and 150 keV. The 0.2 keV threshold will allow the first measurements of absorption in our galaxy and possible host galaxies, constraining the distance scale and host environment.