CAMELOT: Cubesats Applied for MEasuring and LOcalising Transients mission overview

Abstract

We propose a fleet of nanosatellites to perform an all-sky monitoring and timing based localisation of gamma-ray transients. The fleet of at least nine 3U cubesats shall be equipped with large and thin CsI(Tl) scintillator based soft gamma-ray detectors read out by multi-pixel photon counters. For bright short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), by cross-correlating their light curves, the fleet shall be able to determine the time difference of the arriving GRB signal between the satellites and thus determine the source position with an accuracy of ∼ 10 . This requirement demands precise time synchronization and accurate time stamping of the detected gamma-ray photons, which will be achieved by using on-board GPS receivers. Rapid follow up observations at other wavelengths require the capability for fast, nearly simultaneous downlink of data using a global inter-satellite communication network. In terms of all-sky coverage, the proposed fleet will outperform all GRB monitoring missions.

Estimation of the detected background by the future gamma ray transient mission CAMELOT

“…Therefore, we calculated the duty cycle for an altitude of 500 km and inclinations of 53° and 97.6°, which are the inclinations considered in the feasibility study of CAMELOT (Werner et al ). We simulated 1,000 circular orbits at an altitude of 500 km and calculated the fraction of the time the satellite spent in the area with a high background flux of trapped e − (>1 cm −2 s −1 ).…”

“…CubeSats Applied for MEasuring and LOcalising Transients (CAMELOT) (for details, see Ohno et al (); Pál et al (); Torigoe et al (); Řípa et al (); Werner et al ()) is a future constellation of at least nine 3U CubeSats, which will be primarily monitoring and precisely and rapidly localizing gamma ray bursts (GRBs) (see Klebesadel et al (); Kouveliotou et al (); Vedrenne & Atteia ()) over the whole sky. It will allow regular detection of electromagnetic counterparts of gravitation wave sources similar to the breakthrough discovery of the neutron star merger GW170817 (Abbott et al ) associated with a short GRB 170817A (Goldstein et al ).…”

Transient detection capabilities of small satellite gamma‐ray detectors

“…According to a simple triangulation principle of Hurley et al (), the timing‐based localization with such timing synchronization accuracy would result an ∼10′ localization accuracy, which is useful for subsequent counterpart searches at other electromagnetic wavelengths (e.g., X‐ray, optical, and radio). This mission concept has been developed and called the CAMELOT (Werner et al ()). The basic idea of this mission is to have the gamma‐ray detector on the 3 U CubeSat platform such as the platform developed for the RadCube mission by C3S LLC.…”

“…A possible CAMELOT detector configuration for four detectors in two‐sided on 3 U CubeSat platform (modified Figure of Werner et al ())…”

“…A constellation of CubeSats could perform both all‐sky monitoring and timing‐based localization of GRBs. Researchers at Eötvös University and Konkoly Observatory develop a new mission called Cubesats Applied for MEasuring and Localizing Transients (CAMELOT); Ohno et al (); Pál et al (); Torigoe et al (); Řípa et al (); Werner et al ()). CAMELOT will enable all sky monitoring and fast localization of GRBs, thus providing key observational data on these exciting phenomena.…”