Up: Precise GRB source locations
The directional precision of this network is limited by the
timing ability of the NEAR monitor. Unlike CGRO BATSE, Ulysses, or the
GGS-Wind Konus experiment, this instrument does not have a GRB trigger or
profile memory. The modification that was, in fact, heroically undertaken
in flight was to enable continuous monitoring of the total gamma-ray rate
on a one-second per readout basis. Since event profiles can be compared
to somewhat finer resolution than one bin width (only if the event may be
complex in profile and of sufficient duration), it is possible that, with
NEAR at a distance of over 1200 light-seconds, the precision of the IPN
GRB source localization can be as good as
1.5 arcmin.
Up: Precise GRB source locations
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