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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Gamma-Ray Observations Of Gro J1655-40, R Kroeger, Mark Strickman, J E. Grove, Philip Kaaret, E. Ford, B A. Harmon, Mark L. Mcconnell Dec 1996

Gamma-Ray Observations Of Gro J1655-40, R Kroeger, Mark Strickman, J E. Grove, Philip Kaaret, E. Ford, B A. Harmon, Mark L. Mcconnell

Physics & Astronomy

The bright transient X-ray source GRO J1655-40 = XN Sco 1994 was observed by the OSSE instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). Preliminary results are reported here. The initial outburst from GRO J1655-40 was detected by BATSE on 27 Jul 1994. OSSE observations were made in five separate viewing periods starting between 4 Aug 1994 and 4 Apr 1995. The first, third, and fifth observations are near the peak luminosity. In the second observation, the source flux had dropped by several orders of magnitude and we can only set an upper limit. The fourth observation is a weak …


Performance Of Cdznte Strip Detectors As Sub-Millimeter Resolution Imaging Gamma Radiation Spectrometers, M Mayer, V Boykin, M L. Cherry, J F. Courville, F P. Doty, A Drake, T G. Guzik, L A. Hamel, K Larson, John R. Macri, Mark L. Mcconnell, James M. Ryan, O Tousignant Nov 1996

Performance Of Cdznte Strip Detectors As Sub-Millimeter Resolution Imaging Gamma Radiation Spectrometers, M Mayer, V Boykin, M L. Cherry, J F. Courville, F P. Doty, A Drake, T G. Guzik, L A. Hamel, K Larson, John R. Macri, Mark L. Mcconnell, James M. Ryan, O Tousignant

Space Science Center

We report & gamma;-ray detection performance measurements and computer simulations of a sub-millimeter pitch CdZnTe strip detector. The detector is a prototype for & gamma;-ray astronomy measurements in the range of 20-200 keV. The prototype is a 1.5 mm thick, 64×64 orthogonal stripeCdZnTe detector of 0.375 mm pitch in both dimensions, with approximately one square inch of sensitive area. Using discrete laboratory electronics to process signals from an 8×8 stripe region of the prototype we measured good spectroscopic uniformity and sub-pitch (~0.2 mm) spatial resolution in both x and y dimensions. We present below measurements of the spatial uniformity, relative …


Balloon-Borne Coded Aperture Telescope For Arc-Minute Angular Resolution At Hard X-Ray Energies, Mark L. Mcconnell, V Boykin, R M. Kippen, K Larson, John R. Macri, M Mayer, James M. Ryan, P P. Altice, M L. Cherry, S B. Ellison, B Price, T G. Guzik, R Lockwood, M B. Barakat, K Johnston, N Zotov, M Elaasar Oct 1996

Balloon-Borne Coded Aperture Telescope For Arc-Minute Angular Resolution At Hard X-Ray Energies, Mark L. Mcconnell, V Boykin, R M. Kippen, K Larson, John R. Macri, M Mayer, James M. Ryan, P P. Altice, M L. Cherry, S B. Ellison, B Price, T G. Guzik, R Lockwood, M B. Barakat, K Johnston, N Zotov, M Elaasar

Space Science Center

We are working on the development of a new balloon-borne telescope, MARGIE (minute-of-arc resolution gamma ray imaging experiment). It will be a coded aperture telescope designed to image hard x-rays (in various configurations) over the 20 - 600 keV range with an angular resolution approaching one arc minute. MARGIE will use one (or both) of two different detection plane technologies, each of which is capable of providing event locations with sub-mm accuracies. One such technology involves the use of cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) strip detectors. We have successfully completed a series of laboratory measurements using a prototype CZT detector with …


Charge-Coupled Devices With Fast Timing For Astrophysics And Space Physics Research, M L. Cherry, P P. Altice, S B. Ellison, T G. Guzik, John R. Macri, Mark L. Mcconnell, G Y. Mclean, James M. Ryan, Paul P. Suni Oct 1996

Charge-Coupled Devices With Fast Timing For Astrophysics And Space Physics Research, M L. Cherry, P P. Altice, S B. Ellison, T G. Guzik, John R. Macri, Mark L. Mcconnell, G Y. Mclean, James M. Ryan, Paul P. Suni

Space Science Center

A charge coupled device is under development with fast timing capability (15 millisecond full frame readout, 30 microsecond resolution for measuring the time of individual pixel hits). The fast timing CCD will be used in conjunction with a CsI microfiber array or segmented scintillator matrix detector to detect x rays and gamma rays with submillimeter position resolution. The initial application will be in conjunction with a coded aperture hard x ray/gamma ray astronomy instrument. We describe the concept and the readout architecture of the device.


Ground-Based Gamma-Ray Burst Follow-Up Efforts: Results Of The First Two Years Of The Batse/Comptel/Nmsu Rapid Response Network, B Mcnamara, T Harrison, James M. Ryan, R M. Kippen, Mark L. Mcconnell, John R. Macri, C Kouveliotou, Gerald J. Fishman, C Meegan, L O. Hanlon, K Bennett, T. A. Spoelstra, V. G. Metlov, N. V. Metlova, E. Feigelson, A. J. Beasley, D. M. Palmer, Scott Barthelmy, Dale E. Gary, E. T. Olsen, S. Levin, P. G. Wannier, M. A. Janssen, The Macho Collaboration, J. Borovicka, P. Pravec, R. Hudec, M. J. Coe Mar 1996

Ground-Based Gamma-Ray Burst Follow-Up Efforts: Results Of The First Two Years Of The Batse/Comptel/Nmsu Rapid Response Network, B Mcnamara, T Harrison, James M. Ryan, R M. Kippen, Mark L. Mcconnell, John R. Macri, C Kouveliotou, Gerald J. Fishman, C Meegan, L O. Hanlon, K Bennett, T. A. Spoelstra, V. G. Metlov, N. V. Metlova, E. Feigelson, A. J. Beasley, D. M. Palmer, Scott Barthelmy, Dale E. Gary, E. T. Olsen, S. Levin, P. G. Wannier, M. A. Janssen, The Macho Collaboration, J. Borovicka, P. Pravec, R. Hudec, M. J. Coe

Physics & Astronomy

No abstract provided.


Search For Gamma-Ray Emission From The Lagrangian Points Of Psr 1957+20, R Buccheri, V. Salamone, K Bennett, M Busetta, L Kuiper, W Hermsen, Mark L. Mcconnell, R Much, James M. Ryan, H Steinle, V. Schonfelder Feb 1996

Search For Gamma-Ray Emission From The Lagrangian Points Of Psr 1957+20, R Buccheri, V. Salamone, K Bennett, M Busetta, L Kuiper, W Hermsen, Mark L. Mcconnell, R Much, James M. Ryan, H Steinle, V. Schonfelder

Physics & Astronomy

Compton Gamma Ray Observatory data of the COMPTEL and EGRET telescopes from 3 viewing periods have been used to search for gamma-ray emission from the Lagrangian points L_4_ and L_5_ of the binary system including the eclipsing pulsar PSR1957+20. The result was negative and the upper limits derived remain significantly below detections reported earlier.


Comptel Measurements Of Mev Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra, R M. Kippen, James M. Ryan, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell, C Winkler, L O. Hanlon, V Schonfelder, J Greiner, M Varendorff, W Collmar, W Hermsen, L Kuiper Jan 1996

Comptel Measurements Of Mev Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra, R M. Kippen, James M. Ryan, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell, C Winkler, L O. Hanlon, V Schonfelder, J Greiner, M Varendorff, W Collmar, W Hermsen, L Kuiper

Space Science Center

We present results from the on-going spectral analysis of gamma-ray bursts measured by the COMPTEL instrument in its main Compton “Telescope” observing mode (0.75–30 MeV). Thus far, 18 bursts have been analyzed from three years (April 1991–April 1994) of observations. The time-averaged spectra of these events above 1 MeV are all consistent with a simple power law model with spectral index in the range 1.5–3.5. Exponential, thermal bremsstrahlung and thermal synchrotron models are statistically inconsistent with the burst sample, although they can adequately describe some of the individual burst spectra. We find good agreement between burst spectra measured simultaneously by …


Hard X‐Ray Polarimetry Of Solar Flares With Batse, Mark L. Mcconnell, D J. Forrest, W T. Vestrand, M Finger Jan 1996

Hard X‐Ray Polarimetry Of Solar Flares With Batse, Mark L. Mcconnell, D J. Forrest, W T. Vestrand, M Finger

Space Science Center

We describe a technique for measuring the polarization of hard X‐rays from solar flares based on the angular distribution of that portion of the flux which is scattered off the top of the Earth’s atmosphere. The scattering cross section depends not only on the scatter angle itself, but on the orientation of the scatter angle with respect to the incident polarization vector. Consequently, the distribution of the observed albedo flux will depend on the direction and the polarization properties (i.e., the level of polarization and polarization angle) of the source. Since the albedo component can represent a relatively large fraction …


The Angular Distribution Of Comptel Gamma-Ray Bursts, R M. Kippen, James M. Ryan, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell, H Hartmann, C Winkler, L O. Hanlon, V Schonfelder, J Greiner, M Varendorff, W Collmar, W Hermsen, L Kuiper Jan 1996

The Angular Distribution Of Comptel Gamma-Ray Bursts, R M. Kippen, James M. Ryan, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell, H Hartmann, C Winkler, L O. Hanlon, V Schonfelder, J Greiner, M Varendorff, W Collmar, W Hermsen, L Kuiper

Space Science Center

The superior burst location capability of the COMPTEL instrument aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory allows us to study the small-scale angular distribution of burst sources with good sensitivity even though the number of burst detections is small. We accumulate four years (April 1991–April 1995) of observations to form a catalog of 27 burst locations whose mean 1σ uncertainty is ∼1°. We find that the COMPTEL bursts are consistent with an isotropic distribution of sources, yet the spatial coincidence of two of the bursts within COMPTEL’s angular resolution indicates the possibility of repetition. This possibility is studied using the two-point angular …


Using Batse To Measure Gamma-Ray Burst Polarization, Mark L. Mcconnell, D J. Forrest, W T. Vestrand, M H. Finger Jan 1996

Using Batse To Measure Gamma-Ray Burst Polarization, Mark L. Mcconnell, D J. Forrest, W T. Vestrand, M H. Finger

Space Science Center

We describe a technique for measuring the polarization of hard x-rays from γ-ray bursts based on the angular distribution of that portion of the flux which is scattered off the top of the Earth’s atmosphere. The scattering cross section depends not only on the scatter angle itself, but on the orientation of the scatter angle with respect to the incident polarization vector. Consequently, the distribution of the observed albedo flux will depend on the direction and the polarization properties (i.e., the level of polarization and polarization angle) of the source. Although the BATSE design (with its large field-of-view for each …


Looking For The Source Of ∼Hour-Long Soft X-Ray Emission Following Grb 780506, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell Jan 1996

Looking For The Source Of ∼Hour-Long Soft X-Ray Emission Following Grb 780506, A Connors, Mark L. Mcconnell

Space Science Center

GRB 780506, a gamma-ray burst discovered in HEAO 1 A-4 data, was unusual in three respects. First, it was well-measured (by HEAO 1 A-2) in 2–60 keV X-rays. Second, two minutes after it ended, HEAO 1 A-2 detected a faint resurgence of 2–10 keV flux, lasting roughly an hour. From recently calculated position constraints, it appears the source of the extended flux is consistent with the source of the burst, and probably not from a serendipitous transient along the Galactic plane. Third, it now appears GRB 780506 belongs to a newly discovered softer subclass of gamma-rays bursts. This subclass is …


Extended Γ‐Ray Emission In Solar Flares, G Rank, K Bennett, H Bloemen, H Debrunner, J Lockwood, Mark L. Mcconnell, James M. Ryan, V Schonfelder, R Suleiman Jan 1996

Extended Γ‐Ray Emission In Solar Flares, G Rank, K Bennett, H Bloemen, H Debrunner, J Lockwood, Mark L. Mcconnell, James M. Ryan, V Schonfelder, R Suleiman

Space Science Center

During the solar flare events on 11 and 15 June 1991, COMPTEL measured extended emission in the neutron capture line for about 5 hours after the impulsive phase. The time profiles can be described by a double exponential decay with decay constants on the order of 10 min for the fast and 200 min for the slow component. Within the statistical uncertainty both flares show the same long‐term behaviour. The spectrum during the extended phase is significantly harder than during the impulsive phase and pions are not produced in significant numbers before the beginning of the extended emission. Our results …


Comptel Solar Flare Measurements, James M. Ryan, Mark L. Mcconnell Jan 1996

Comptel Solar Flare Measurements, James M. Ryan, Mark L. Mcconnell

Space Science Center

We review some of the highlights of the COMPTEL measurements of solar flares. These include images of the Sun in γ rays and neutrons. One of the important features of the COMPTEL instrument is its capability to measure weak fluxes of γ rays and neutrons in the extended phase of flares. These data complement the spectra taken with the COMPTEL burst spectrometer and the telescope during the impulsive phase of flares. We focus our attention on some of these general capabilities of the instrument and the latest results of two long‐duration γ‐ray flares, i.e., 11 and 15 June 1991