The Chinese-French SVOM mission for gamma-ray burst studies
Abstract
We describe the SVOM mission that the Chinese National Space Agency and the French Space Agency have recently decided to jointly implement. SVOM (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor) has been designed to detect all known types of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), to provide fast and reliable GRB positions, to measure the broadband spectral shape and temporal properties of the GRB prompt emission, and to quickly identify the optical afterglows of detected GRBs, including those which are highly redshifted. In orbit in 2012, the SVOM satellite will carry a very innovative scientific payload combining for the first time a wide field (2 sr) X- and gamma-ray coded mask imager sensitive in the range 4 keV to 300 keV, a gamma-ray monitor sensitive in the range 50 keV to 5 MeV, a narrow field of view X-ray telescope sensitive in the range 0.3 keV to 2 keV and a narrow field of view optical telescope able to measure the GRB afterglow emission down to a magnitude limit M = 23 in the red band with a 300 s exposure. A particular attention will be paid to the GRB follow-up in making easy the observation of the SVOM detected GRB by the largest ground based telescopes.
- Publication:
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37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008cosp...37.2368P