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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The Ultra Fast Flash Observatory pathfinder – UFFO-p GRB imaging and location with its coded mask X-ray imager UBAT

subject

description

The UFFO pathfinder mission will attempt to locate the optical afterglow of a GRB within seconds of its detection and location by a wide field X-ray imager. It will be mounted on the Lomonosov spacecraft for launch in 2013 and consists of a coded mask X-ray imager UBAT to detect a GRB and estimate a direction vector which will be passed to the SMT optical system which will rotate a moveable mirror to lock onto the GRB and direct the optical afterglow to a camera with a  ~17′ wide aperture. We present the design geometry of the UBAT instrument only, with results of simulations for a range of GRB types to show probable photon integration times to be expected to extract a significant FOV image reconstruction and GRB location.