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Design and test of a portable Gamma-Ray Burst simulator for GECAM

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Abstract

The main scientific goal of the Gravitational wave high-energy Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM) is to monitor various types of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB) originated from merger of binary compact stars, which could also produce gravitational wave, and collapse of massive stars. In order to study the response of GECAM Gamma-Ray Detectors (GRDs) to high-energy bursts and test the in-flight trigger and localization software of GECAM before the launch, a portable GRB simulator device is designed and implemented based on grid controlled X-ray tube (GCXT) and direct digital synthesis (DDS) technologies. The design of this GRB simulator which modulates X-ray flux powered by high voltage up to 20 kV is demonstrated, and the time jitter (FWHM) of the device is about 0.9 μs. Before the launch in December, 2020, both two GECAM satellites were irradiated by different types of GRBs (including short and long bursts in duration) generated by this GRB simulator. The light curves detected with GECAM/GRDs are consistent with the programmed input functions within statistical uncertainties, indicating the good performance of both the GRDs and the GRB simulator.

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Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the Strategic Priority Program on Space Science, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Grant No. XDA15020501, No. XDA1531010301 and No. XDA15360102. We are also grateful to Shanghai KEYWAY ELECTRON Technology Co., Ltd for their assistance in the processing and design of X-ray tubes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Can Chen, Shuo Xiao, Shaolin Xiong, Nian Yu, Xiangyang Wen, Ke Gong, Xinqiao Li, Chaoyang Li, Dongjie Hou, Xiongtao Yang, Zijian Zhao, Yuxuan Zhu, Dali Zhang, Zhenghua An, Xiaoyun Zhao, Yupeng Xu & Yusa Wang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Can Chen, Shuo Xiao, Nian Yu & Yupeng Xu

  3. Physics and space science college, China West Normal University, Sichuan, 637002, China

    Chaoyang Li

  4. College of Physics, Jilin University, Changchun, 130012, China

    Yuxuan Zhu

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  1. Can Chen
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Correspondence to Yupeng Xu or Yusa Wang.

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Chen, C., Xiao, S., Xiong, S. et al. Design and test of a portable Gamma-Ray Burst simulator for GECAM. Exp Astron 52, 45–58 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09776-y

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