
Proceedings Paper
Characterization and evolution of the swift x-ray telescope instrumental backgroundFormat | Member Price | Non-Member Price |
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Paper Abstract
The X-ray telescope (XRT) on board the Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer has successfully operated since the spacecraft
launch on 20 November 2004, automatically locating GRB afterglows, measuring their spectra and lightcurves and
performing observations of high-energy sources. In this work we investigate the properties of the instrumental
background, focusing on its dynamic behavior on both long and short timescales. The operational temperature of the
CCD is the main factor that influences the XRT background level. After the failure of the Swift active on-board
temperature control system, the XRT detector now operates at a temperature range between -75C and -45C thanks to a
passive cooling Heat Rejection System. We report on the long-term effects on the background caused by radiation,
consisting mainly of proton irradiation in Swift's low Earth orbit and on the short-term effects of transits through the
South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), which expose the detector to periods of intense proton flux. We have determined the
fraction of the detector background that is due to the internal, instrumental background and the part that is due to
unresolved astrophysical sources (the cosmic X-ray background) by investigating the degree of vignetting of the
measured background and comparing it to the expected value from calibration data.
Paper Details
Date Published: 13 September 2007
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 6686, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XV, 668609 (13 September 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.734398
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6686:
UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XV
Oswald H.W. Siegmund, Editor(s)
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 6686, UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XV, 668609 (13 September 2007); doi: 10.1117/12.734398
Show Author Affiliations
C. Pagani, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
D. C. Morris, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
J. Racusin, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
D. Grupe, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
L. Vetere, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
M. Stroh, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
A. Falcone, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
J. A. Kennea, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
D. N. Burrows, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
J. A. Nousek, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
A. F. Abbey, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
L. Angelini, NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr. (United States)
A. P. Beardmore, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
S. Campana, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
M. Capalbi, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
G. Chincarini, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
D. C. Morris, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
J. Racusin, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
D. Grupe, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
L. Vetere, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
M. Stroh, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
A. Falcone, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
J. A. Kennea, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
D. N. Burrows, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
J. A. Nousek, The Pennsylvania State Univ. (United States)
A. F. Abbey, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
L. Angelini, NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr. (United States)
A. P. Beardmore, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
S. Campana, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
M. Capalbi, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
G. Chincarini, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
O. Citterio, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
G. Cusumano, INAF-IASF (Italy)
P. Giommi, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
O. Godet, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
J. E. Hill, Universities Space Research Association (United States)
CRESST and NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr. (United States)
V. La Parola, INAF-IASF (Italy)
V. Mangano, INAF-IASF (Italy)
T. Mineo, INAF-IASF (Italy)
A. Moretti, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
J. P. Osborne, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
K. L. Page, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
M. Perri, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
P. Romano, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
G. Tagliaferri, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
F. Tamburelli, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
G. Cusumano, INAF-IASF (Italy)
P. Giommi, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
O. Godet, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
J. E. Hill, Universities Space Research Association (United States)
CRESST and NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr. (United States)
V. La Parola, INAF-IASF (Italy)
V. Mangano, INAF-IASF (Italy)
T. Mineo, INAF-IASF (Italy)
A. Moretti, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
J. P. Osborne, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
K. L. Page, Univ. of Leicester (United Kingdom)
M. Perri, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
P. Romano, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
G. Tagliaferri, INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy)
F. Tamburelli, ASI-ASDC (Italy)
Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6686:
UV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XV
Oswald H.W. Siegmund, Editor(s)
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