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EGRET Observations of Gamma‐Ray Bursts
Author(s) -
SCHNEID E J,
BERTSCH D L,
FICHTEL C E,
HARTMAN R C,
HUNTER S D,
THOMPSON D J,
KANBACH G,
MAYERHASSELWANDER H A,
LIN Y C,
MICHELSON P F,
NOLAN P L,
DINGUS B L,
MONTIGNY C,
SREEKUMAR P,
KNIFFEN D A
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1995.tb17577.x
Subject(s) - egret , spark chamber , physics , gamma ray , gamma ray burst , observatory , astrophysics , telescope , scintillator , photon , astronomy , detector , optics , ignition system , spark ignition engine , thermodynamics
ABSTRACT The Energetic Gamma‐Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) has observed gamma‐rays bursts with the highest energy gamma‐rays and the longest high energy emission to date. EGRET measures the high energy gamma‐rays with its large NaI scintillator (1 to 200 MeV) and its spark chamber (30 MeV to 30 GeV). The spark chamber also measures time and arrival directions of individual photons allowing locations for the energetic bursts to be determined. Since the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory launch in 1991, EGRET has observed five bursts in the spark chamber with several having gamma‐ray energies grater than 1 GeV. The recording breaking burst, GRB940217, had gamma‐rays up to 18 GeV and lasted over 5000 seconds. The results for the energetic bursts are presented. The high energies observed from these gamma‐ray bursts set constraints for the burst distances.