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Session B16 - Neutrino and Gamma Ray Astrophysics.
MIXED session, Saturday morning, April 29
202C, Convention Center

[B16.010] The Rapid Gamma-ray Burst Response Campaign with ROTSE

R. Balsano, J. Bloch, D. Casperson, S. Fletcher, G. Gisler, J. Hills, W. Priedhorsky, J. Szymanski, J. Wren (Los Alamos National Laboratory), C. Akerlof, R. Kehoe, T. McKay, A. Pawl (University of Michigan), S. Marshall (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), B. Lee (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, University of Michigan), S. Barthelmy, P. Butterworth, T. Cline (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)

The main goal of the Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment (ROTSE) is to detect optical emission from Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) during and immediately following GRBs. The instruments comprising ROTSE consist of wide-field optics on rapidly slewing mounts optimized for quick response to GRBs localized to several degree regions. Thus far, only one prompt optical counterpart to a GRB has been discovered although simple scaling arguments suggest more should be easily detected. This talk will cover ROTSE responses to GRBs detected by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment and the soon-to-be-launched High Energy Transient Experiment. The expansion of ROTSE to a global network of identical telescopes will also be briefly discussed.

Part B of program listing