INTEGRAL Spectrometer SPI's GRB detection capabilities. GRBs detected inside SPI's FoV and with the anticoincidence system ACS
Hurley, K.; Hanlon, L.; McBreen, B.; von Kienlin, A.; Rau, A.; Connell, P.; Schönfelder, V.; Williams, R.; Strong, A.; Bennett, K.; Lichti, G. G.; Beckmann, V.; Skinner, G.; Roques, J. -P.; Deluit, S.; Moran, L.; Preece, R.; Arend, N.; Kippen, M.
Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ireland, United Kingdom, United States, France
Abstract
The spectrometer SPI, one of the two main instruments of the INTEGRAL spacecraft, offers significant gamma-ray burst detection capabilities. In its 35o (full width) field of view SPI is able to localise gamma-ray bursts at a mean rate of ~ 0.8/month. With its large anticoincidence shield of 512 kg of BGO crystals SPI is able to detect gamma-ray bursts quasi omni-directionally with a very high sensitivity. Burst alerts of the anticoincidence shield are distributed by the INTEGRAL Burst Alert System. In the first 8 months of the mission about 0.8/day gamma-ray burst candidates and 0.3/day gamma-ray burst positions were obtained with the anticoincidence shield by interplanetary network triangulations with other spacecrafts.
Based on observations with INTEGRAL, an ESA project with instruments and science data centre funded by ESA member states (especially the PI countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain), Czech Republic and Poland, and with the participation of Russia and the USA.}