A Scientific Trigger Unit for space-based real-time gamma ray burst detection I - Scientific software model and simulations

Abstract

The on-board Scientific Trigger Unit (UTS) is designed to detect Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) in real-time, using the data produced by the ECLAIRs camera, foreseen to equip the future French-Chinese satellite mission SVOM (Space-based Variable Objects Monitor). The UTS produces GRB alerts, sent to the ground for GRB follow-up observations, and requests the spacecraft slew to repoint its narrow field instruments onto the GRB afterglow. Because of the diversity of GRBs in duration and variability, two simultaneously running GRB trigger algorithms are implemented in the UTS, the so called Image Trigger performing systematic sky image reconstruction on time scales above 20 s, and the Count-Rate Trigger, selecting a time scale from 10 ms to 20 s showing an excess in count-rate over background estimate, prior to imaging the excess for localization on the sky. This paper describes both trigger algorithms and their implementation in a library, compiled for the Scientific Software Model (SSM) running on standard Linux machines, and which can also be cross-compiled for the Data Processing Model (DPM), in order to have the same algorithms running on both platforms. While the DPM permits to validate the hardware concept and benchmark the algorithms (see paper II), the SSM allows to optimize the algorithms and estimate the GRB trigger-rate of ECLAIRs/UTS. The result of running on the SSM a dynamic photon by photon simulation based on the BATSE GRB catalog is presented.