Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 138, 583-585

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES)

A.J. Castro-Tirado^1,2 - J. Soldán³ - M. Bernas⁴ - P. Páta⁴ - T. Rezek³ - R. Hudec³ - T.M. Sanguino⁵ - B. de la Morena⁵ - J.A. Berná ⁶ - J. Rodríguez⁷ - A. Peña⁷ - J. Gorosabel¹ - J.M. Más-Hesse¹ - A. Giménez^1,2

Send offprint request: A.J. Castro-Tirado (ajct@laeff.esa.es)

1 - Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental (LAEFF-INTA), P.O. Box 50727, E-28080, Madrid, Spain
2 - Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), P.O. Box 03004, E-18080 Granada, Spain
3 - Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, 251 65 Ondrejov, Czech Republic
4 - Czech Technical University, Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Department of Radioelectronics, 16627 Prague, Czech Republic
5 - Centro de Experimentación de El Arenosillo (CEDEA-INTA), Mazagón, Huelva, Spain
6 - Departamento de Física, Ingeniería de Sistemas y Teoría de la Señal, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
7 - Nuevas Tecnologías Observacionales (NTO), Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain

Received December 29, 1998; accepted April 9, 1999

Abstract:

The Burst Observer and Optical Transient Exploring System (BOOTES) is considered as a part of the preparations for the ESA's satellite INTEGRAL, and is currently being developed in Spain, in collaboration with two Czech institutions. It makes use of two sets of wide-field cameras 240 kms apart, and two robotic 0.3-m telescopes. The first observing station (BOOTES-1) is located in Huelva (Spain) and the first light was obtained in July 1998. During the test phase, it has provided rapid follow-up observations for 5 GRBs detected by the BATSE aboard the CGRO. The system will fully operate in late 1999.

Key words: methods: observational -- gamma-rays: bursts