Abstract
The measurement of hard X‐ray polarization in γ‐ray bursts (GRBs) would add yet another piece of information in our effort to resolve the true nature of these enigmatic objects. Here we report on the development of a dedicated polarimeter design with a relatively large FoV that is capable of studying hard X‐ray polarization (50–300 keV) from GRBs. This compact design, based on the use of a large area position‐sensitive PMT (PSPMT), is referred to as GRAPE (Gamma‐RAy Polarimeter Experiment). The feature of GRAPE that is especially attractive for studies of GRBs is the significant off‐axis polarization response (at angles greater than 60°). For an array of GRAPE modules, current sensitivity estimates give minimum detectable polarization (MDP) levels of a few percent for the brightest GRBs.
Department
Space Science Center, Physics
Publication Date
2003
Journal Title
AIP Conference Proceedings
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1063/1.1579413
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Recommended Citation
The Development of GRAPE, a Gamma Ray Polarimeter Experiment McConnell, M. L. and Ledoux, J. R. and Macri, J. R. and Ryan, J. M., AIP Conference Proceedings, 662, 503-505 (2003), DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1579413
Rights
© 2003 American Institute of Physics