Time Domain Astronomy: Swift's Unique Role
Abstract
Conceived as a mission to follow up Gamma-Ray Bursts and their afterglows on very rapid timescales, Swift has also proven to be highly flexible and responsive to allow observations of nearly every type of astronomical object on timescales ranging from seconds to years. The core capability comes from automatically reacting to Swift discovered GRBs with a follow up starting in as little as 40 seconds, with sensitive optical/UV (down to 24th magnitude), and X-ray (down to the microCrab level) measurements.
Swift's flexible and rapid scheduling allows us to plan up to 75 independent targets per day, allowing unique sampling capability on more than 1000 observing programs per year. Autonomous response triggered by the BAT yields observations in seconds to minutes of GRBs, SGRs, flare stars, SXFTs and other hard X-ray transients. Targets of Opportunity (887 submitted in Mission Year 6) provide a ground commanded response in as little as ten minutes, or samplings over periods of minutes, hours, days, or months. Guest Investigator and coordinated programs with other observatories add even more programs and timescales. Swift's Time Domain Astronomy sampling and wavelength coverage is unmatched by any other observatory. We review the past performance of Swift, and project the exciting science that lies ahead for Swift in exploiting its abilities.- Publication:
-
AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #12
- Pub Date:
- September 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011HEAD...12.3618N