Compton Observatory Science Report #136 Thursday, September 23, 1993 Eric Chipman, Compton Observatory Science Support Center Questions or comments can be sent to the Compton SSC. Phone 301/286-7764, e-mail SPAN GROSSC::CHIPMAN, Internet chipman@grossc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Science operations are continuing. A second Target of Opportunity was declared over the weekend for the new source J 1005-58 that was discovered last week. This source was observed for one day on Tuesday, but then faded and observations have resumed of Nova Cyg 1992. The first maneuver, on Tuesday, September 21, was from 1423Z to 1452Z. The maneuver angle was 91.52 degrees, with a resulting HGA boom- equator angle of 56 degrees. The second maneuver, on Wednesday, September 22, was from 1444Z to 1536Z. The maneuver angle was 178.44 degrees, with a resulting HGA boom- equator angle of 29.44 degrees. ARCHIVES -------- Archive contents- BATSE - Bursts to trigger 884, four months of daily HER and SHER data. Additional burst data up to trigger 1466 and corresponding HER and SHER data has been received at the SSC and is being installed in the archive. Some high-level pulsar light curves have been received at the SSC COMPTEL - Periods 1-13 are available Egret - Periods 0.2-30 are available (Maps and photon lists) OSSE - Periods 0.2-13 (minus pd 3) are available (SDB data). Pulsar data also available off-line. BATSE ----- The BATSE instrument is operating normally. The BATSE science team is gradually returning to Huntsville from the Second Compton Symposium. Four invited talks were presented covering BATSE observations of gamma-ray bursts, x-ray binaries, hard x-ray transients, and QPOs in transients. Additional BATSE results were reported in 17 submitted papers covering Cyg X-1, Her X-1, Cen X-3, GX 1+4, 4U 1626-67, 4U 0115+63, GRO J0422+32, GX 301-2, GRO J1008-57, GX 354-00, Cen A, NGC 4151, 3C 273, upper limits for other AGN, BATSE spectral calibration, and maps of the galactic center region produced with the occultation transform imaging technique. As of September 19th, BATSE has detected 771 cosmic gamma-ray bursts out of a total of 2430 on-board triggers in 880 days of operation. There have been 664 triggers due to solar flares with emission above 60 keV. COMPTEL ------- No report received. Many members of the COMPTEL Team were at the Second Compton Symposium this week. EGRET ----- EGRET operations were normal this week. The EGRET results were well received at the Second Compton Symposium. I wish to thank personally the many people who helped with the symposium, including particularly the members of the scientific organizing committee who worked with me to form the program. I feel that it is also appropriate to mention that we are fortunate in having the fine facilities of the Center for Adult Education of the University of Maryland so close to us. I should also like to issue a challenge to all astrophysics to determine how such large numbers of relativistic particles that presumably lead to the great luminosity of high energy gamma rays are accelerated in an AGN in the first place. Carl Fichtel OSSE ---- OSSE has experienced two system crashes in the last week, one each on the mornings of 22 and 23 September. We have not yet isolated the cause. No similar crashes have occurred previously. We are thoroughly inspecting telemetry and testing with the engineering model detector system to try to reproduce this behavior. For viewing period 303.2, the Z-axis target is once again N Cyg 1992 (GI: S. Starrfield), and the X-axis target is NGC 5548 (GI: R. Petre). When neither target is above the Earth's limb, engineering data are being collected to improve the energy calibration of the "high" spectral range, nominally >10 MeV. The Sun is not available on the OSSE scan plane, so the slewing response to BATSE solar flare triggers is disabled. There have been no slews to the Sun since the last report. Data from viewing periods 3.0 and 13.5 will be delivered today to the Compton GRO Science Support Center Archive. Targets during vp 3.0 were 3C 273, SN 1991T, 1A0620-00, and QSO 0736+016. Targets during vp 13.5 were GX339-4, the galactic plane near 339 deg longitude, and NGC 253. With this delivery, all data at the archive, from activation through vp 13.5, will have been processed and screened to the highest quality level. Most of the members of the OSSE team attended the Compton Symposium at the University of Maryland this week. Many new results were presented, and a summary will appear in next week's status report. Other Items: ------------ The latest Phase 3 Viewing Plan is attached. It is expected that some revision will be needed to provide time for the second part of the reboost procedure, most likely in mid-November. COMPTON PHASE 3 VIEWING PLAN AS OF SEPTEMBER 17, 1993 Z-axis is pointing direction for COMPTEL and EGRET. OSSE points in X-Z plane. RA and DEC are J2000. VIEW +Z-AXIS GRO Z-AXIS GALACTIC GRO X-AXIS OSSE PRIMARY TARGET OSSE SECONDARY TARGET PER. START TARGET RA DEC LONG LAT RA DEC TARGET RA DEC TARGET RA DEC 301 08/17/93 VELA PULSAR 128.92 -45.18 263.59 -2.74 161.94 39.80 VELA PULSAR 128.92 -45.18 QSO 1028+313 157.74 31.05 232* 08/24/93 GAL 348+00 258.02 -39.35 347.50 0.00 188.46 23.07 GPLANE 347.5 258.02 -39.35 MRK 421 166.11 38.21 232.5* 08/26/93 GAL 348+00 258.02 -39.35 347.50 0.00 182.10 16.48 GPLANE 347.5 258.02 -39.35 NGC 4388 186.44 12.66 302.0 09/07/93 N CYG 1992 307.63 52.63 89.13 7.82 202.99 10.92 N CYG 1992 307.63 52.63 NGC 5548 214.50 25.13 302.3 09/09/93 GX 1+4 258.64 -22.70 1.41 9.26 180.21 25.63 GX 1+4 263.01 -24.75 VIRGO 298+82 192.31 19.75 303.0 09/21/93 GRS 1009-45 157.58 -42.88 277.21 12.83 217.43 28.41 GRS 1009-45 153.25 -45.40 NGC 5548 214.50 25.13 303.5 10/01/93 REBOOST 303.7 10/17/93 N CYG 1992 307.63 52.63 89.13 7.82 202.99 10.92 N CYG 1992 307.63 52.63 NGC 5548 214.50 25.13 304 10/19/93 VIRGO 278+59 180.01 -1.62 277.60 58.70 270.91 -28.89 VIRGO 278+59 180.01 -1.62 G CENTER 0+0 266.40 -28.94 305 10/26/93 VIRGO 278+63 181.58 2.06 277.70 62.70 270.38 -30.16 VIRGO 278+63 181.58 2.06 G CENTER 0+0 266.40 -28.94 306 11/02/93 VIRGO 278+67 183.29 5.68 278.20 66.70 271.03 -21.61 VIRGO 278+67 183.29 5.68 PSR 1800-21 270.96 -21.61 307 11/09/93 VIRGO 269+69 181.19 9.53 268.69 69.24 252.79 -61.99 VIRGO 269+69 181.19 9.53 GPLANE 324 232.93 -56.20 308 11/16/93 VIRGO 283+75 187.61 12.59 283.22 74.65 258.54 -55.65 VIRGO 283+75 187.61 12.59 GPLANE 332 243.91 -50.82 309 11/23/93 VIRGO 284+75 187.69 12.41 283.70 74.50 272.61 -21.93 VIRGO 284+75 187.69 12.41 PSR 1800-21 270.96 -21.61 310 11/30/93 GEMINGA 98.48 17.77 195.14 4.27 201.46 35.02 GEMINGA 98.48 17.77 NGC 4151 182.63 39.41 311 12/13/93 VIRGO 284+75 187.69 12.41 283.70 74.50 272.61 -21.93 VIRGO 284+75 187.69 12.41 PSR 1800-21 270.96 -21.61 312 12/20/93 VIRGO 281+71 185.52 9.12 280.50 70.70 271.83 -21.80 VIRGO 281+71 185.52 9.12 PSR 1800-21 270.96 -21.61 313 12/27/93 VIRGO 289+79 190.10 16.12 289.30 78.70 270.42 -30.20 VIRGO 289+79 190.10 16.12 G CENTER 0+0 266.40 -28.94 314 01/03/94 GAL 304-01 195.69 -63.83 304.18 -0.99 277.55 3.99 PSR 1259-63 195.69 -63.83 N HER 1991 281.63 12.24 315 01/16/94 GAL 304-01 195.69 -63.83 304.18 -0.99 282.83 1.41 PSR 1259-63 195.69 -63.83 G CENTER 0+0 266.40 -28.94 316 01/23/94 CEN A 201.37 -43.02 309.52 19.42 310.35 -19.21 CEN A 201.37 -43.02 CTA 102 338.15 11.73 317 02/01/94 NGC 1068 37.41 10.61 158.48 -45.38 306.06 7.18 3C 120 68.29 5.35 CTA 102 338.15 11.73 318 02/15/94 GAL 015+06 268.94 -13.18 14.79 6.00 5.76 -26.89 GPLANE 15 274.47 -15.90 NGC 253 11.88 -25.29 319 02/22/94 QSO 0716+714 110.48 71.34 143.98 28.02 341.13 12.08 QSO 0716+714 110.48 71.34 PKS 2155-304 329.72 -30.22 320 03/08/94 GAL 083-45 345.81 8.87 83.09 -45.47 76.45 4.13 NGC 7469 345.81 8.87 3C 120 68.29 5.35 321 03/15/94 GAL 357-11 276.44 -37.11 356.85 -11.29 349.25 21.35 1H 1822-371 276.44 -37.11 QSO 2251+158 343.49 16.13 322 04/01/94 MRK 421 157.18 32.26 194.76 58.73 14.17 51.67 QSO 1028+313 157.74 31.05 MRK 3 93.91 71.03 323 04/15/94 GAL 357-11 276.44 -37.11 356.85 -11.29 349.25 21.35 1H 1822-371 276.44 -37.11 QSO 2251+158 343.49 16.13 324 04/19/94 GAL 016+05 270.89 -12.83 16.03 4.51 358.13 11.96 GPLANE 15 274.47 -15.90 NGC 7469 345.81 8.87 325 04/26/94 GAL 147-09 49.07 46.94 147.04 -9.04 67.24 -41.60 GT 0236+610 40.14 61.22 SN 1987A 83.86 -69.27 326 05/10/94 NGC 3227 156.69 31.65 195.92 58.31 47.37 28.24 QSO 1028+313 157.74 31.05 NRAO 140 54.13 32.31 327 05/17/94 GAL 083-45 345.81 8.87 83.09 -45.47 81.19 31.01 NGC 7469 345.81 8.87 NRAO 140 54.13 32.31 328 05/24/94 PSR 1951+32 298.76 28.07 64.87 -0.03 69.89 50.97 CYG X-3 308.11 40.96 PSR 0611+22 93.56 22.42 329 05/31/94 GAL 253-42 69.26 -47.25 253.40 -42.00 88.04 41.18 PSR J0437-47 69.26 -47.25 CRAB PULSAR 83.52 22.02 330 06/07/94 GAL 018+00 275.93 -13.26 18.00 0.00 341.41 60.41 GPLANE 18 275.93 -13.26 GT 0236+610 40.14 61.22 331 06/14/94 PSR 1951+32 298.76 28.07 64.87 -0.03 69.89 50.97 CYG X-3 308.11 40.96 PSR 0611+22 93.56 22.42 332 06/21/94 GAL 018+00 275.93 -13.26 18.00 0.00 341.41 60.41 GPLANE 18 275.93 -13.26 GT 0236+610 40.14 61.22 333 07/05/94 PSR 1951+32 298.76 28.07 64.87 -0.03 69.89 50.97 CYG X-3 308.11 40.96 PSR 0611+22 93.56 22.42 334 07/12/94 GAL 006-04 273.86 -26.03 5.81 -4.30 238.09 58.96 GPLANE 15 274.47 -15.90 HER X-1 254.46 35.34 335 07/19/94 GAL 253-42 69.26 -47.25 253.40 -42.00 107.01 36.16 PSR J0437-47 69.26 -47.25 GEMINGA 98.48 17.77 336 08/01/94 GAL 083-45 345.81 8.87 83.09 -45.47 81.19 31.01 NGC 7469 345.81 8.87 NRAO 140 54.13 32.31 337 08/08/94 PKS 0528+134 87.70 0.98 205.00 -13.00 178.49 39.05 PSR 0656+14 104.70 14.23 NGC 4151 182.63 39.41 338 08/29/94 VELA PULSAR 128.92 -45.18 263.59 -2.74 200.60 17.34 VELA PULSAR 128.92 -45.18 3C 273 187.28 2.05 339 09/20/94 3C 317 234.71 -1.82 4.05 40.40 143.62 -30.89 PG 1416-129 214.77 -13.18 MCG -5-23-16 146.92 -30.96 10/04/94 end Phase 3 * Phase 2 target