BurstCube: A CubeSat for Gravitational Wave Counterparts

ORAL

Abstract

The first simultaneous detection of a short gamma-ray burst (sGRB) with a gravitational-wave (GW) signal provided direct proof that binary neutron star mergers are a progenitor of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) and propelled astronomy into the multi-messenger era. In order to further study the connection between gravitational waves and sGRBs, and thus enable multi-messenger science, we must increase the number of sGRB-GW simultaneous detections. To accomplish this we require full sky coverage in the gamma-ray regime. BurstCube aims to expand sky coverage in order to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). BurstCube is comprised of 4 Cesium Iodide scintillators coupled to arrays of Silicon photo-multipliers on a 6U bus and is sensitive to gamma-rays between 50 keV and 1MeV, the ideal energy range for GRB prompt emission. BurstCube will complement current observatories, such as Swift and Fermi, in the detection of GRBs as well as provide astronomical context to gravitational wave events detected by LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA. BurstCube is currently in its development phase with an expected launch date of ~2022.

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Presenters

  • Alyson Joens

    George Washington University

Authors

  • Alyson Joens

    George Washington University

  • Jeremy S Perkins

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Judith L Racusin

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Michael S Briggs

    University of Alabama in Huntsville

  • Georgia A de Nolfo

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Jacob R Smith

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • Regina M Caputo

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Sean Griffin

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, College Park, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • John F Krizmanic

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, CRESST/NASA/GSFC/UMBC

  • Julie E McEnery

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Eric Burns

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Peter Sven Shawhan

    University of Maryland, College Park

  • David Morris

    University of the Virgin Islands

  • Daniel Kocevski

    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

  • Colleen Wilson-Hodge

    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

  • Dieter Hartmann

    Clemson University

  • Michelle Hui

    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center