We report on the on-orbit performance of the Glowbug instrument, which operated on the International Space Station (ISS) from March 2023 to April 2024. Glowbug is a NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) funded instrument built by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, DC, and is the pathfinder instrument for the upcoming NASA StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneers mission. Glowbug was launched to the ISS on the 27th Commercial Resupply Services mission operated by SpaceX (SpX-27) as part of the Department of Defense Space Test Program (STP) H9 pallet. Glowbug’s primary science objective is the detection and localization of short Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), which are the result of mergers of stellar binaries involving a neutron star with either another neutron star or a black hole. Detection is enabled by 12 large area (150mm x 150mm), inorganic scintillator panels (thallium-doped cesium iodide, CsI:Tl), arrayed on the surface of a half cube. Each panel is read out on one edge by a 1x21 array of onsemi J-series 6mm x 6mm silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). Additionally, within the half cube, resides two inorganic scintillators, Cs2LiLaBr6:Ce (CLLB), and a small plastic (EJ-200) scintillator on the exterior used as an South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) entry and exit detector, both of which are read out by an array of SiPMs on one face of each detector unit. We discuss the Glowbug on-orbit results for one year’s worth of data, in terms of on-orbit operations, SiPM performance in low-earth orbit (LEO), and GRB detections.
In this paper we report on the development of Glowbug-2: a gamma-ray transient instrument for the International Space Station (ISS). Glowbug-2 is the next iteration of instrumentation for detecting and localizing gamma-ray transients, in particular Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), being developed and built by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). This iteration of Glowbug follows the successful deployment and operation of the Glowbug-1 instrument on the ISS [1,2], located on the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility Unit (JEM-EFU) from March 2023 to April 2024. Glowbug-2 consists of four large area, panel scintillation detectors with edge read out via an array of silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), on the Department of Defense Space Test Program (DoD STP) H-11 pallet. The launch to the Columbus External Payload Facility SOZ on the ISS is expected in late 2025. The scintillation crystal detector units (CDUs) are the same design as the units to be flown on the upcoming NASA StarBurst Multimessenger Pioneers mission. Glowbug-2 will serve as a science enhancement and risk reduction instrument for the StarBurst mission. Each scintillation panel views the sky at a 45° angle (with respect to the pallet), with each detector facing orthogonal viewing directions, for all sky coverage not occulted by the earth. This work presents the science Glowbug-2 will address, the instrument concept and design, and simulated and laboratory instrument performance metrics.
Many questions posed in the Astro2020 Decadal survey in both the New Messengers and New Physics and the Cosmic Ecosystems science themes require a gamma-ray mission with capabilities exceeding those of existing (e.g. Fermi, Swift) and planned (e.g. COSI) observatories. ComPair, the Compton Pair telescope, is a prototype of such a next-generation gamma-ray mission. It had its inaugural balloon flight from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico in August 2023. To continue the goals of the ComPair project to develop technologies that will enable a future gamma-ray mission, the next generation of ComPair (ComPair-2) will be upgraded to increase the sensitivity and low-energy transient capabilities of the instrument. These advancements are enabled by AstroPix, a silicon monolithic active pixel sensor, in the tracker and custom dual-gain silicon photomultipliers and front-end electronics in the calorimeter. This effort builds on design work for the All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory eXplorer (AMEGO-X) concept that was submitted the 2021 MIDEX Announcement of Opportunity. Here we describe the ComPair-2 prototype design and integration and testing plans to advance the readiness level of these novel technologies.
In this paper we describe the characterization of the Glowbug instrument. Glowbug is a gamma-ray telescope for gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and other transients in the 50 keV to 2 MeV band funded by the NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis (APRA) program. Built by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, the instrument will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) by the Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program (STP) in early 2023. Glowbug’s primary science objective is the detection and localization of short GRBs, which are the result of mergers of stellar binaries involving a neutron star with either another neutron star or a black hole. While the instrument is designed to complement existing GRB detection systems, it serves as a technology demonstrator for future networks of sensitive, low-cost gamma-ray transient detectors that provide all-sky coverage and improved localization of such events. Of greatest interest are the binary neutron star systems within the detection horizon of ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers. In a full mission life, Glowbug will detect dozens of short GRBs and provide burst spectra, light curves, and positions for gamma-ray context in multi-wavelength and multi-messenger studies of these merger events. We will present the current state of Glowbug, which will include the hardware development, calibration, environmental testing, simulations, and expected on-orbit sensitivity.
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