Status of the Transient Gamma-Ray Spectrometer

Abstract

The Transient Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (TGRS) was launched aboard the GGS/WIND spacecraft on November 1, 1994. After several deep space orbits (∼2 yrs) WIND will eventually be injected into a halo orbit around the Sun-EarthL ₁ point. TGRS consists of a 215 cm³ high purityn-type Ge crystal which is kept at cryogenic temperatures by a passive radiative cooler. The energy range covered by the instrument is ∼25–8000 keV with an energy resolution of ∼2–3 keV. The primary task of TGRS is to perform high resolution spectroscopy of gamma-ray bursts and solar flares. Additional objectives are the study of transient x-ray pulsars and, using an on-board passive occulter, the long-term monitoring of sources such as the Crab and the Galactic Center. Since launch, TGRS has been performing exceedingly well, and all the important experiment parameters such as background levels, gain, and resolution have proven to be very stable. To date, TGRS has detected 27 GRBs and three solar flares. Preliminary analysis of our data also indicates that TGRS is indeed sensitive to sources such as the Crab and the Galactic Center.