Wide Field Camera WFC
Onboard BeppoSAX
- in orbit since may 1996
- Field of View 40 x 40 degree
- arcmin positional accuracy (unique!)
- coded mask with unique design
- based on our TTM expertise on board MIR station
- results through tight connection between scientists
and instrument specialists
.
Scientific Highlights
LOCALIZATION of GAMMA RAY BURSTS, leading to
- discovery of X-ray afterglow (BeppoSAX)
- discovery of optical afterglow
- determination of distances (up to z=3.5)
- solution of a 30 years old problem
- discovery of radio afterglow
- renewed interest in prompt counterparts
- discovery of bright prompt optical emission
- So far 18 bursts have been localized with the WFC
(all optical afterglows are at WFC identified positions)
NEW TRANSIENT SOURCES, for example
- SAX J 1808.4-3658, later found to be
the first millesec accreting pulsar
- sources in globular clusters
NEW X-RAY BURST SOURCES
- X-ray bursts from globular clusters NGC6652 and NGC6640
- X-ray bursts from former Black Hole candidate GS1826-238,
exhibiting 80 bursts quasi periodically with a period of
5.75 hours
So far 75 publications (18 in refereed journals, 38 IAU Circ,
19 conference papers, 7 in press).
See WEB-pages at http:wfc.sron.nl