Ground-based calibration and characterization of the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor Detectors

Understand

One of the scientific objectives of NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is the study of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs).

• The Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) was designed to detect and localize bursts for the Fermi mission.
• By means of an array of 12 NaI(Tl) (8 keV to 1 MeV) and two BGO (0.2 to 40 MeV) scintillation detectors, GBM extends the energy range (20 MeV to > 300 GeV) of Fermi's main instrument, the Large Area Telescope, into the traditional range of current GRB databases.
• The physical detector response of the GBM instrument to GRBs is determined with the help of Monte Carlo simulations, which are supported and verified by on-ground individual detector calibration measurements.