Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission

Swift, and Swift Gamma Ray Explorer 84 or Explorer, a research satellite of NASA with British and Italian participation, the gamma-ray bursts is detected and investigated. Swift was 7320 -10C launched on November 20, 2004 from Cape Canaveral with a missile of the type II and Delta is in a circular orbit 600 km above the Earth's surface with an inclination of 20.6 °. The 1470 kg heavy and 5.57 m high satellite carries no consumables with it. It is powered by two solar panels with 5.41 m span and 1040 watts of power. An extrapolation showed that he should remain operational until about 2022.

The operation was originally set at two years. The mission was first extended for four more years, then studied for a further two years until 30 September 2012 .. NASA currently monitoring mission to 2016Vorlage: can be extended future / In 2 years.

Mission

Goal of Swift is the fastest possible and accurate localization of short-lived gamma-ray bursts. In order to further observations can still be drawn to the correct object during the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst. The Burst Alert Telescope ( BAT) detected gamma-ray bursts in the photon energy range 15 to 150 keV and has a wide field of view of about 2 steradian ( about 90 °). Approximately 100 gamma-ray bursts to be detected per year. The instrument can determine the position of a gamma-ray burst in the sky on 1-4 arcmin accuracy. This allows the X - Ray Telescope ( XRT ) be directed at the source of the gamma-ray burst and study the afterglow in X-rays. This X-ray telescope that operates in the range of photon energies from 300 eV to 3 keV, the position of the source to be 3 to 5 seconds of arc accurately determined and also takes on X-ray spectra. Finally, the Ultraviolet / Optical Telescope ( UVOT ), be directed to the source, a telescope with a 30 cm diameter mirror, the (170 to 650 nm wavelength ) operates in the optical and ultraviolet regions and determine their position on 0.3 arc seconds exactly. Also spectra are recorded with this telescope.

Observations ( selection)

On 4 September 2005, the hitherto strongest ever documented measured gamma-ray burst (: about 13 billion light years away) was.
On 18 February 2006, measured from an object 440 million light years away, at 33 minutes, the longest by far the gamma-ray burst.
On 19 March 2008, the hitherto strongest gamma-ray outburst, cataloged as GRB 080319B, was observed. He was 2.5 million times more luminous than the most luminous supernova observed so far.
On 23 April 2009 the most distant gamma-ray burst was recorded at a distance of 13.1 billion light years.
On 21 June 2010, the absolutely strongest gamma-ray burst GRB 100621A with the name was registered, this could turn out the measuring instruments of Swift briefly.
On 3 June 2013, the gamma-ray burst GRB 130603B with the name was registered
On January 22, 2014 was awarded the UVOT instrument with SN 2014J in the galaxy M82, the erdnächste for 20 years supernova observed

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