- First Name:Hans
- Last Name:Krimm
- Working Group Presenter
- Title:Gamma-ray observations with Swift and their impact
- Presentation Type:Talk
- Presentation Work Group:Gamma Astronomy
- Abstract:The Swift gamma-ray burst explorer was launched
on Nov. 20, 2004 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The first instrument onboard became fully
operational less than a month later. Since that time
the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on Swift has
detected more than 150 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs),
most of which have also been observed within two
minutes by the Swift narrow-field instruments:
the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and the Ultra-Violet and
Optical Telescope (UVOT). Swift trigger notices are
distributed worldwide within seconds of the trigger
through the Gamma-ray burst Coordinates Network
(GCN) and a substantial fraction of GRBs have been
followed up by ground and space-based
telescopes, ranging in wavelength from radio to
TeV. Results have included the first rapid
localization of a short GRB and further validation of
the theory that short and long bursts have
different origins; detailed observations of the
power-law decay of burst afterglows leading to an
improved understanding of the fireball and
afterglow models; and detection of the most distant
GRB ever found. Swift is also a sensitive X-ray observatory with capabilities to monitor galactic
and extragalactic transients on a daily basis, carry
out the first all-sky hard X-ray survey since
HEAO-1, and study in detail the spectra of X-ray
transients. The talk will emphasize the
connection between Swift/BAT GRB observations
and source monitoring and TeV observations.