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CATSAT - a very low cost burst distance measuring mission

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Abstract

CATSAT is a small, fast and cheap space mission currently funded for Phase A studies under the Student Explorer Demonstration Initiative (STEDI) by University Space Research Association. Its prime scientific objective is to determine burst distances by measuring their spectra at energies from < 500 eV to several MeV. Soft X-ray spectral measurements will be made with 2 cm2 Si Avalanche Photodiodes (APD). The spectrometer will consist of seven collimated arrays, each containing 14 APDs and covering ∼ 1 steradians. CATSAT also contains three other context instruments. The Directional Gamma Spectrometer is a NaI-PMT array which will provide burst triggering as well as spectra and directional information from > 200 keV observations. The Hard X-Ray spectrometer consists of CaF2(Eu)-PMT detectors which are optimized in the cyclotron absorption energy band. The X-ray Albedo Polarimeter consists of nine collimated NaI-PMT detectors observing the earth reflected emission. Results from the XAP will be used to determine the burst direction and to place constraints on X-ray polarization. CATSAT was designed at three universities to be built with student help in two years for a cost of $3.5M.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Earth, Oceans and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA

    D. J. Forrest, W. T. Vestrand, M. McConnell & J. M. Ryan

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    A. Owens

Authors
  1. D. J. Forrest
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  2. W. T. Vestrand
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  3. M. McConnell
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  4. J. M. Ryan
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  5. A. Owens
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Forrest, D.J., Vestrand, W.T., McConnell, M. et al. CATSAT - a very low cost burst distance measuring mission. Astrophys Space Sci 231, 459–462 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00658670

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00658670

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