0000000000177722
AUTHOR
Ji-eun Kim
The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory's space GRB mission and science
AbstractThe Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) is a space mission to detect the early moments of an explosion from Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), thus enhancing our understanding of the GRB mechanism. It consists of the UFFO Burst & Trigger telescope (UBAT) for the recognition of GRB positions using hard X-ray from GRBs. It also contains the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) for the fast detection of UV-optical photons from GRBs. It is designed to begin the UV-optical observations in less than a few seconds after the trigger. The UBAT is based on a coded-mask X-ray camera with a wide field of view (FOV) and is composed of the coded mask, a hopper and a detector module. The SMT has a fast rotata…
Development of Motorized Slewing Mirror Stage for the UFFO Project
The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) is a space observatory for optical follow-ups of gamma ray bursts (GRBs), aiming to explore the first 60 seconds of GRBs optical emission. UFFO is utilized to catch early optical emissions from GRBs within few sec after trigger using a Gimbal mirror which redirects the optical path rather than slewing entire spacecraft. We have developed a 15 cm two-axis Gimbal mirror stage for the UFFO-Pathfinder which is going to be on board the Lomonosov satellite which is to be launched in 2013. The stage is designed for fast and accurate motion with given budgets of 3 kg of mass and 3 Watt of power. By employing stepping motors, the slewing mirror can rotate fast…
Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory for detecting the early photons from gamma-ray bursts
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous transient events with short intense flashes that have been detected in random directions in the sky once or twice per day. Their durations have been measured in seconds, especially short GRBs with duration of < 2 sec. The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) space mission aims to detect the earliest moments of an explosion which presents the nature of GRBs, resulting into the enhancement of GRB mechanism understanding. The UFFO consists of a couple of wide Field-of-View (FOV) trigger telescopes, a narrow-FOV Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) for the fast measurement of the UV-optical photons from GRBs, and a gamma-ray monitor for energy measurement.…
The Status of the Ultra Fast Flash Observatory - Pathfinder
On behalf of the UFFO Collaboration; International audience; The Ultra Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) is a project to study early optical emissions from Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). The primary scientific goal of UFFO is to see if GRBs can be calibrated with their rising times, so that they could be used as new standard candles. In order to minimize delay in optical follow-up measurements, which is now about 100 sec after trigger from the Swift experiment, we rotate a mirror to redirect light path so that optical measurement can be performed within a second after the trigger. We have developed a pathfinder mission, UFFO-pathfinder to launch on board the Lomonosov satellite in 2012. In this talk,…
In-Flight Calibrations of UFFO-Pathfinder
The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO), which will be launched onboard the Lomonosov spacecraft, contains two crucial instruments: UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) for detection and localization of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and the fast-response Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) designed for the observation of the prompt optical/UV counterparts. Here we discuss the in-space calibrations of the UBAT detector and SMT telescope. After the launch, the observations of the standard X-ray sources such as pulsar in Crab nebula will provide data for necessary calibrations of UBAT. Several standard stars will be used for the photometric calibration of SMT. The celestial X-ray sources, e.g.…
Design and implementation of electronics and data acquisition system for Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory
The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) Pathfinder for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) consists of two telescopes. The UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) handles the detection and localization of GRBs, and the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) conducts the measurement of the UV/optical afterglow. UBAT is equipped with an X-ray detector, analog and digital signal readout electronics that detects X-rays from GRBs and determines the location. SMT is equipped with a stepping motor and the associated electronics to rotate the slewing mirror targeting the GRBs identified by UBAT. First the slewing mirror points to a GRB, then SMT obtains the optical image of the GRB using the intensified CCD an…
Design, Construction and Performance of the Detector for UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope
One of the key aspects of the upcoming Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) pathfinder for Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) identification is the UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT). The scientific propose of UBAT is to detect and locate as fast as possible the GRBs in the sky. This is achieved by using a coded mask aperture camera scheme with a wide field of view (FOV) and selecting a X-ray detector of high quantum efficiency and large detection area. This X-ray detector of high quantum efficiency and large detection area is called the UBAT detector. The UBAT detector consists of 48 × 48 Yttrium Oxyorthosilicate (YSO) scintillator crystal arrays and Multi Anode Photomultiplier Tubes (MAPMTs)…
Development of Slewing Mirror Telescope Optical System for the UFFO-pathfinder
The Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) is the UV/optical telescope of UFFO-pathfinder. The SMT optical system is a Ritchey-Chretien (RC) telescope of 100 mm diameter pointed by means of a gimbal-mounted flat mirror in front of the telescope. The RC telescope has a 17 × 17arcmin2 in Field of View and 4.3 arcsec resolution (full width half maximum of the point spread function) The beam-steering mirror enables the SMT to access a 35 × 35degree region and point and settle within 1 sec. All mirrors were fabricated to about 0.02 wavelengths RMS in wave front error (WFE) and 84.7% average reflectivity over 200 nm ~ 650 nm. The RC telescope was aligned to 0.05 wavelengths RMS in WFE (test wavelength 63…
ULTRA-FAST FLASH OBSERVATORY (UFFO) FOR OBSERVATION OF EARLY PHOTONS FROM GAMMA RAY BURSTS
I.H. Park, S. Ahmad, P. Barrillon, S. Brandt, C. Budtz-Jorgensen, A.J. Castro-Tirado, P. Chen, Y.J. Choi, P. Connell, S. Dagoret-Campagne, C. Eyles, B. Grossan, M.–H.A. Huang, A. Jung, S. Jeong, J.E. Kim, M.B. Kim, S.-W. Kim, Y.W. Kim, A.S. Krasnov, J. Lee, H. Lim, E.V. Linder, T.–C. Liu, N. Lund, K.W. Min, G.W. Na, J.W. Nam, M.I. Panasyuk, J. Ripa, V. Reglero, J.M. Rodrigo, G.F. Smoot, J.E. Suh, S. Svertilov, N. Vedenkin, M.–Z. Wang, I. Yashin Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea University of Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, France Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia CSIC, Granada, Spain National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan Korea Advanced I…
Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory for the observation of early photons from gamma-ray bursts
One of the least documented and understood aspects of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is the rise phase of the optical light curve. The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) is an effort to address this question through extraordinary opportunities presented by a series of space missions including a small spacecraft observatory. The UFFO is equipped with a fast-response Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) that uses a rapidly moving mirror or mirror array to redirect the optical beam rather than slewing the entire spacecraft to aim the optical instrument at the GRB position. The UFFO will probe the early optical rise of GRBs with sub-second response, for the first time, opening a completely new frontier in …
THE UFFO SLEWING MIRROR TELESCOPE FOR EARLY OPTICAL OBSERVATION FROM GAMMA RAY BURSTS
While some space born observatories, such as SWIFT and FERMI, have been operating, early observation of optical after grow of GRBs is still remained as an unexplored region. The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) project is a space observatory for optical follow-ups of GRBs, aiming to explore the first 60 seconds of GRBs optical emission. Using fast moving mirrors to redirect our optical path rather than slewing the entire spacecraft, UFFO is utilized to catch early optical emissions from GRB within 1 sec. We have developed the UFFO Pathfinder Telescope which is going to be on board of the Lomonosov satellite and launched in middle of 2012. We will discuss about scientific potentials of t…