The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory

News from 2003

December 1, 2003 - New Pictures of the BAT Team (Pre-Integration)
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August 29, 2003 - Materials Released to Support Swift Proposers
Today, the Swift Science Center makes available a collection of documents, Web pages and tools to aid Swift Cycle 1 proposers in preparing their Guest Investigator proposals. All interested scientists are encouraged to review the instructions and submit proposals within the guidelines described. Visit the Proposals and Tools page for a pointer to the Cycle 1 proposal instructions and supporting materials. Good luck to all potential Swift Guest Investigators. Don't hesitate to contact the Swift Science Center via our Feedback form, should any questions or concerns arise as you prepare your Cycle 1 proposals.
November 20, 2003 - How To Simulate Swift Data
Simulating Swift data with XSPEC
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August 14, 2003 - Swift Science Center Opens
Visit the Swift Science Center to obtain information about the GI program, simulation tools, a description of the Swift software package,etc.
+ Visit Site
August 13, 2003 - Curious about Swift? Try Out Our Simulation Tools!
Are you eager to see what the Swift BAT might see when your favorite source is in the field? Do you wonder what a gamma ray burst with a certain spectral model will show in BAT/XRT? What kind of spectrum might you expect? What are the expected count rates? Now you can satisfy your curiosity with our pre-launch simulation tools. Visit our Proposals and Tools page where we have pointers to the HEASARC tools WebSpec and PIMMS, with some notes on the responses used to generate the simulations. Enjoy!
June 18, 2003 - Rosetta Stone Decodes Gamma-Ray Burst Mystery
Scientists have pieced together the key elements of a gamma-ray burst, from star death to dramatic black hole birth, thanks to a "Rosetta stone" found on March 29, 2003.
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May 28, 2003 - Rhessi's Lucky Break May Lead To Secret Of Ultimate Explosions
A chance observation by a NASA satellite, designed to study the sun, may have uncovered one of the most important clues yet obtained about the mechanism for producing gamma ray bursts, the most powerful explosions in the universe.
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May 21, 2003 - Swift Special Session at AAS Meeting May 28
The launch of the Swift mission near the end of 2003 will begin a new era in observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and their afterglows. The community should receive GRB and afterglow detections at a rate of two or more per week, all with accurate arcsecond positions based on X-ray and UV/optical data collected starting about one minute after the burst.
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March 19, 2003 - Race to Gamma Ray Burst Reveals Gigantic Explosion, Death, and Birth
Scientists arriving on the scene of a gamma ray burst, just moments after the explosion, have witnessed the death of a gigantic star and the birth of something monstrous in its place, quite possibly a brand-new, spinning black hole.
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