Search

The CAST experiment at CERN is the only running solar axion telescope. The first results obtained so far with CAST — PHASE I is presented, which compete with the best astrophysically derived limits of the axion-to-photon coupling. The ongoing PHASE II of the experiment as well as the scheduled upgrades, which improve the axion discovery potential of CAST, are discussed. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The X-ray Telescope (XRT) for the SWIFT mission, built by the international consortium from Pennsylvania State University (US), University of Leicester (UK) and Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy), is already installed on the SWIFT spacecraft. The XRT has two key functions on SWIFT; to determine locations of GRBs to better than 5 arc seconds within 100 seconds of initial detection of a burst and to measure spectra and light curves of the X-ray afterglow over around four orders of magnitude of decay in the afterglow intensity. This paper summarises the XRT performance, operating modes and sensitivity for the detection of prompt and extended X-ray afterglows from gamma-ray bursts. The performance characteristics have been determined from data taken during the ground calibration campaign at MPE’s Panter facility in September 2002. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]