Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2004-05-12
AIP Conf.Proc.727:637-641,2004; Astrophys.J.611:1005-1020,2004
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
38 pages, including 10 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ v611
Scientific paper
10.1063/1.1810924
The Swift mission, scheduled for launch in early 2004, is a multiwavelength observatory for gamma-ray burst (GRB) astronomy. It is the 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 per year 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 determine the origin of GRBs; classify GRBs and search for new types; study the interaction of the ultra-relativistic outflows of GRBs with their surrounding medium; and 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; a narrow-field X-ray telescope; and a narrow-field UV/optical telescope. 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 (~2x10^{-11} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} in the 15-150 keV band), more than an order of magnitude better than HEAO 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. The mission is currently funded for 2 years of operations and the spacecraft will have a lifetime to orbital decay of ~8 years. [ABRIDGED]
Barthelmy Scott D.
Burrows David N.
Chincarini Guido
Cominsky Lynn R.
Gehrels Neil
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