Burst Detector Sensitivity: Past, Present & Future
Abstract
I compare the burst detection sensitivity of CGRO's BATSE, Swift's BAT, the GLAST Burst Monitor (GBM) and EXIST as a function of a burst's spectrum and duration. A detector's overall burst sensitivity depends on its energy sensitivity and set of accumulations times Delta t; these two factors shape the detected burst population. For example, relative to BATSE, the BAT's softer energy band decreases the detection rate of short, hard bursts, while the BAT's longer accumulation times increase the detection rate of long, soft bursts. Consequently, Swift is detecting long, low fluence bursts (2-3x fainter than BATSE).
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0601436,
title = {Burst Detector Sensitivity: Past, Present & Future},
author = {David L. Band},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0601436},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
To appear in the proceedings of the 16th Annual October Astrophysics Conference in Maryland, "Gamma Ray Bursts in the Swift Era", Washington DC., November 29-December 2, 2005, 4 pages, 3 figures