Rene Hudec

CCD sky monitoring and burst alert

Two proposals for detection of optical flashes related to ,γ-ray bursts are briefly described. The aim of the first proposal is to develop a reliable monitoring service at optical wavelengths, and the second proposal deals with an automatically working telescope with full remote control via Internet network.

Optical transients: The present status

The present status of searches for flashing optical counterparts to gamma ray burst sources is given. Programs run at the Ondrejov Observatory are presented and briefly discussed.

Optical follow-up observations of locburst GRB locations with OMC test camera

Abstract The test camera of the Optical Monitoring Camera (OMC) experiment for INTEGRAL spacecraft achieving the angular pixel size of 18 arcsec and the field of view 7.5° × 5.1° has been succesfully developed and tested at the Astronomical Institute Ondřejov. The test camera is able to provide imaging down to 15 mag over the whole field of view within one exposure of 300 seconds. Although developed primarily to test the OMC performance and help with software development, this device is ideally suitable for the use as ground-based camera for the sites where Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory BATSE Locburst triggers are followed-up in optical waveband and also for wide-field sky monitoring in general. The low cost of this camera makes it possible to duplicate the system to a number of observing sites. A chart and a corresponding CCD-image for the BACODINE Locburst Position 6368 taken with OMC test camera at Ondřejov observatory are also presented. The image taken 18 hours after the trigger was computer-blinked with the frame taken 30 days later. No optical activity has been found down to 13.5 mag.

The status of the Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES)

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES) is considered as a part of the preparations for the ESA’s satellite project INTEGRAL, and is currently being developed in Spain, in collaboration with two Czech institutions. It will make use of two sets of wide-field cameras 240 km apart, and two robotic 30 cm telescopes. All the instruments will be placed in Southern Spain. It is expected that BOOTES will provide rapid follow-up observations of GRBs detected by BATSE, BeppoSAX, RossiXTE and future experiments, as well as clarify whether optical transients, related or not to GRBs, are indeed of cosmic origin.

Wide-field X-ray Optics

Classical X-ray mirror optics usually has a limited Field of View (FoV) of ∼ 1°. Wide-field imaging can be achieved by lobster-eye type reflecting X-ray optics. We summarise several different approaches and suggest an innovative technology for the production of X-ray reflecting flats and cells necessary to develop one- or two-dimensional wide-field X-ray optics. The technology is based on double-sided, replicated reflecting foils produced by electroforming and CF/composite technologies.