BurstCube

BurstCube is a '6U' Cubesat mission (with an approximate size of 10 cm x 20 cm x 30 cm) to detect, localize, and rapidly disseminate information about gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). BurstCube will monitor the sky for variable and unusual transient gamma-ray events. The primary science objective is to detect and characterize short GRBs (<2 s) that are the counterparts of GW sources. BurstCube will also be sensitive to all GRBs such as long duration hypernovae, and supernova (associated, high-redshift, and nearby sub-luminous), and transient galactic sources such as magnetars. BurstCube has been developed at GSFC/NASA.

Mission Characteristics

Lifetime

Energy Range

Special Features

Payload

• The instrument consists of four CsI scintillator detectors read out by arrays of SiPMs.
  Each detector is about 90 cm diameter by 19 mm thick CsI crystal housed in an aluminium can.
  
• The all instrument is in size approximately 20cm x 20cm x 10xm.
• Field of view > 6 sr and detected events are time tag with < 1msec.
• Supporting electronics and communications equipment provide rapid alerts upon event detection.

Science Goals

• Rapid approximate location of gamma-ray burst sources
• Detection of binary neutron star mergers, characterized by short gamma-ray bursts and gravitational wave detection with instruments such as the existing LIGO and future LISA spacecraft programs

Archive