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The Locations of Gamma-Ray Bursts Measured by ComptelThe COMPTEL instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory is used to measure the locations of gamma-ray bursts through direct imaging of MeV photons. In a comprehensive search, we have detected and localized 29 bursts observed between 1991 April 19 and 1995 May 31. The average location accuracy of these events is 1.25 deg (1 sigma), including a systematic error of approx. 0.5 deg, which is verified through comparison with Interplanetary Network (IPN) timing annuli. The combination of COMPTEL and IPN measurements results in locations for 26 of the bursts with an average "error box" area of only approx. 0.3 deg (1 sigma). We find that the angular distribution of COMPTEL burst locations is consistent with large-scale isotropy and that there is no statistically significant evidence of small-angle autocorrelations. We conclude that there is no compelling evidence for burst repetition since no more than two of the events (or approx. 7% of the 29 bursts) could possibly have come from the same source. We also find that there is no significant correlation between the burst locations and either Abell clusters of galaxies or radio-quiet quasars. Agreement between individual COMPTEL locations and IPN annuli places a lower limit of approx. 100 AU (95% confidence) on the distance to the stronger bursts.
Document ID
19990024857
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Other
External Source(s)
Authors
Kippen, R. Marc
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH United States)
Ryan, James M.
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH United States)
Connors, Alanna
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH United States)
Hartmann, Dieter H.
(Clemson Univ. SC United States)
Winkler, Christoph
(European Space Agency. European Space Research and Technology Center, ESTEC Noordwijk, Netherlands)
Kuiper, Lucien
(Space Research Organization Netherlands Utrecht, Netherlands)
Varendorff, Martin
(Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Extraterrestrische Physik Garching, Germany)
McConnell, Mark L.
(New Hampshire Univ. Durham, NH United States)
Hurley, Kevin
(California Univ. Berkeley, CA United States)
Hermsen, Wim
(Space Research Organization Netherlands Utrecht, Netherlands)
Schoenfelder, Volker
(Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Extraterrestrische Physik Garching, Germany)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1998
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Volume: 492
Subject Category
Space Radiation
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-2350
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-26645
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1560
CONTRACT_GRANT: DARA-50-QV90968
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1578
CONTRACT_GRANT: JPL-958056
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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