Gamma-Ray Observatory - The next great observatory in space

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Mercury. Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; (USA)

OSTI ID:6003388

Neal, V; Fishman, G; Kniffen, D ^[1]

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1. National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC (USA) Essex Corp., Huntsville, AL (USA) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL (USA) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)

The Gamma-Ray Observatory (GRO) which is part of NASA's Great Observatories space program is presented. The GRO is equipped with the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (which detects low-energy gamma-ray photons from 20 keV to 600 keV and locates sources of gamma-ray bursts), the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (which detects celestial gamma rays from 100 keV to 10 MeV and identifies the elements producing these rays by measuring the ray's spectra and time variability), the Imaging Compton Telescope (which images gamma rays with energies from 1 to 30 MeV created when cosmic rays interact with interstellar matter), and the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (which detects high-energy photons associated with the most energetic processes occurring in nature). After the energies of photons from each source are classified, the gamma-ray mechanisms can be modelled. Nuclei, radioactive isotopes, and nuclear reactions can be identified, and the physical conditions at the radiation's source can also be modelled. From these models, theories can be developed about the creation of elements in the explosion and collapse of giant stars, the acceleration of charged particles to velocities approaching the speed of light, and the destruction of matter and antimatter.

• OSTI ID: 6003388
• Journal Information: Mercury. Journal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific; (USA), Vol. 19; ISSN 0047-6773
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASTRONOMY
GAMMA RADIATION
ACCELERATION
ANNIHILATION
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
GAMMA SPECTROMETERS
GIANT STARS
IMAGES
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
NASA
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
ORIGIN
PHOTONS
RADIATION DETECTORS
STAR EVOLUTION
TELESCOPES
VARIATIONS
BASIC INTERACTIONS
COSMIC RADIATION
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
INTERACTIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION
RADIATIONS
SPACE
SPECTROMETERS
STARS
US ORGANIZATIONS
640100* - Astrophysics & Cosmology