Expected Gamma-Ray Burst Detection Rates and Redshift Distributions for the BlackCAT CubeSat Mission

Joseph M. Colosimo; Derek B. Fox; Abraham D. Falcone; David M. Palmer; Frederic Hancock; Michael Betts; William A. Bevidas Jr.; Jacob C. Buffington; David N. Burrows; Zachary Catlin; Timothy Emeigh; Thomas Forstmeier; Kadri M. Nizam; Collin Reichard; Ana C. Scigliani; Lukas R. Stone; Ian Thornton; Mitchell Wages; Daniel Washington; Michael E. Zugger

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad4f8b

The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2024)

Expected Gamma-Ray Burst Detection Rates and Redshift Distributions for the BlackCAT CubeSat Mission

Joseph M. Colosimo,
Derek B. Fox,
Abraham D. Falcone,
David M. Palmer,
Frederic Hancock,
Michael Betts,
William A. Bevidas Jr.,
Jacob C. Buffington,
David N. Burrows,
Zachary Catlin,
Timothy Emeigh,
Thomas Forstmeier,
Kadri M. Nizam,
Collin Reichard,
Ana C. Scigliani,
Lukas R. Stone,
Ian Thornton,
Mitchell Wages,
Daniel Washington,
Michael E. Zugger

Affiliations

Joseph M. Colosimo: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Derek B. Fox: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Abraham D. Falcone: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
David M. Palmer: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Los Alamos National Laboratory/New Mexico Consortium, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
Frederic Hancock: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Physics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
Michael Betts: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
William A. Bevidas Jr.: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Jacob C. Buffington: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
David N. Burrows: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Zachary Catlin: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Timothy Emeigh: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Thomas Forstmeier: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Kadri M. Nizam: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Collin Reichard: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Ana C. Scigliani: ORCiD; Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Lukas R. Stone: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Ian Thornton: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Mitchell Wages: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Daniel Washington: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Michael E. Zugger: Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad4f8b
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 969, no. 2
p. 138

Abstract

Read online

We report the results of an extensive set of simulations exploring the sensitivity of the BlackCAT CubeSat to long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). BlackCAT is a NASA APRA-funded CubeSat mission for the detection and real-time subarcminute localization of high-redshift ( z ≳ 3.5) GRBs. Thanks to their luminous and long-lived afterglow emissions, GRBs are uniquely valuable probes of high-redshift star-forming galaxies and the intergalactic medium. In addition, each detected GRB with a known redshift serves to localize a region of high-redshift star formation in three dimensions, enabling deep follow-on searches for host galaxies and associated local and large-scale structures. We explore two distinct models for the GRB redshift distribution and luminosity function, both consistent with Swift observations. We find that, for either model, BlackCAT is expected to detect a mean of 42 bursts per year on orbit, with 6.7% to 10% of these at z > 3.5. BlackCAT bursts will be localized to an r _90 ≲ 55″ precision and reported to the community within seconds. Due to the mission orbit and pointing scheme, bursts will be located in the night sky and well placed for deep multiwavelength follow-up observations. BlackCAT is on schedule to achieve launch readiness in 2025.

Published in The Astrophysical Journal

ISSN: 1538-4357 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy: Astrophysics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords