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| Abstract: EIRSAT-1 is Ireland’s first satellite, it was developed by students in University College Dublin as a part of ESAs Fly your Satellite program. On December 1st 2023 EIRSAT-1 was launched into a Sun Synchronous Orbit from Vandenberg Space Base on a Space-X Falcon 9. It is a 2U CubeSat equipped with three payloads, one of which is GMOD; a gamma ray detecting module. GMOD uses a CeBr3 scintillator which produces flashes of light in the visible range when struck by gamma ray photons. The scintillations are measured with silicone photomultipliers (SiPMs) and read using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) known as SIPHRA. EIRSAT-1 is performing well in orbit and will soon be producing scientific data. This presentation will give an overview of the satellite subsystems with particular focus on the gamma ray detection module. The challenges faced in the lead up to launch and in the early operations phase will be presented. The results of the first few months of gamma ray detection with EIRSAT-1 will be discussed. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of gamma ray detection with CubeSats will be presented using EIRSAT-1 as an example. |
Marianna Dafčíková - "The First GRBAlpha and VZLUSAT-2 catalogue: gamma-ray transients and detector sensitivity"
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| Abstract: In recent years there have been numerous efforts to build a constellation of small satellites which would provide an all-sky coverage and quick localization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). One of the mission proposals is the CAMELOT constellation with a newly developed gamma-ray detector composed of a CsI(Tl) scintillator coupled with silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). The prototype of this detector is already employed in two space missions, GRBAlpha 1U CubeSat launched in March 2021 and VZLUSAT-2 3U CubeSat launched in January 2022. To date, the satellites have detected over 150 gamma-ray transients. In this presentation, I will show the first catalogue of the transients detected by these two missions and present the empirical sensitivity of the detector. The weakest GRB detection belongs to the faintest 10% of those observed by Fermi/GBM which demonstrates the detector potential for routine observation of GRBs. |
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