TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 5886 SUBJECT: GRB 061202: Swift detection of a burst DATE: 06/12/02 08:37:28 GMT FROM: Scott Barthelmy at NASA/GSFC T. Sakamoto (NASA/ORAU), S. D. Barthelmy (GSFC), W. B. Landsman (NASA/GSFC), K. M. McLean (LANL/UTD), C. Pagani (PSU), D. M. Palmer (LANL), A. M. Parsons (GSFC), M. Perri (ASDC), G. Stratta (ASDC) and L. Vetere (PSU) report on behalf of the Swift Team: At 08:11:44 UT, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) triggered and located GRB 061202 (trigger=241963). Swift slewed immediately to the burst. The BAT on-board calculated location is RA, Dec 105.642, -74.665 which is RA(J2000) = 07h 02m 34s Dec(J2000) = -74d 39' 53" with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin (radius, 90% containment, including systematic uncertainty). The BAT light curve shows a weak peak with a duration of about 10 sec. The peak count rate was ~400 counts/sec (15-350 keV), at ~2 sec after the trigger. We note that during the slew there is a large increase in the count rate (T+70 to T+100 sec) which may be due to the GRB or it may be due to a source passing through the FOV during the slew. The XRT began observing the field at 08:13:43 UT, 119 seconds after the BAT trigger. XRT found a fading X-ray source located at RA(J2000) = 07h 02m 06.5s, Dec(J2000) = -74d 41' 55.9", with an estimated uncertainty of 4.1 arcseconds (90% confidence radius). This is a ground calculated position based on prompt downlinked data. This location is 165 arcseconds from the BAT on-board position, within the BAT error circle. The initial flux in the 2.5s image was 3.6e-09 erg/cm2/s (0.2-10 keV). UVOT took a finding chart exposure of 100 seconds with the White (160-650 nm) filter starting 128 seconds after the BAT trigger. No afterglow candidate has been found in the initial data products. The 2.7'x2.7' sub-image covers 100% of the XRT error circle. The typical 3-sigma upper limit has been about 18.5 mag. The 8'x8' region for the list of sources generated on-board covers 100% of the XRT error circle. The list of sources is typically complete to about 18 mag. No correction has been made for the expected extinction corresponding to E(B-V) of 0.15.