Burstcube: Concept, performance, and status
Jacob R. Smith, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Michael S. Briggs, The University of Alabama in Huntsville
Alessandro Bruno, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Eric Burns, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Regina Caputo, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Brad Cenko, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Antonino Cucchiara, University of the Virgin Islands
Georgia de Nolfo
Sean Griffin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lorraine Hanlon, University College Dublin
Dieter H. Hartmann, Clemson University
Michelle Hui
Alyson Joens, The George Washington University
Carolyn Kierans, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Dan Kocevski
John Krizmanic, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Amy Lien, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Sheila McBreen, University College Dublin
Julie E. McEnery, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Lee Mitchell, Naval Research Laboratory
David Morris, University of the Virgin Islands
David Murphy, University College Dublin
Jeremy S. Perkins, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Judy Racusin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Peter Shawhan, University of Maryland, College Park
Teresa Tatoli, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Alexey Uliyanov, University College Dublin
Sarah Walsh, University College Dublin
Colleen Wilson-Hodge
Abstract
The first simultaneous detection of a short gamma-ray burst (SGRB) with a gravitational-wave (GW) signal ushered in a new era of multi-messenger astronomy. In order to increase the number of SGRB-GW simultaneous detections, we need full sky coverage in the gamma-ray regime. BurstCube, a CubeSat for Gravitational Wave Counterparts, aims to expand sky coverage in order to detect and localize gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). BurstCube will be comprised of 4 Cesium Iodide scintillators coupled to arrays of Silicon photo-multipliers on a 6U CubeSat bus (a single U corresponds to cubic unit ~10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm) and will be sensitive to gamma-rays between 50 keV and 1 MeV, the ideal energy range for GRB prompt emission. BurstCube will assist current observatories, such as Swift and Fermi, in the detection of GRBs as well as provide astronomical context to gravitational wave events detected by Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo, and KAGRA. BurstCube is currently in its development and testing phase to prepare for launch readiness in the fall of 2021. We present the mission concept, preliminary performance, and status.
